Too late?
by murai-sakura
Summary: Sakura finally realizes Lee is the one for her. But when she encounters Lee in an infuriated mood, will his words cause enough damage to let her die? And what of Sasuke, who suddenly returns? And after him, Itachi! Leexsaku
1. Why this anger?

My very first Naruto ficcie! And go. I found it my experience that I often simply start writing a story about an anime of which I've only seen the first couple of episodes. So now I watched all I could watch (212 episodes at this point) and thus I'm completely up to date. Thus I won't make any stupid mistakes.

Enough babbling. The disclaimer: I own nothing!!! Except this story

**See, I myself found it a scary thought to find Rock Lee angry, so I thought up a story. Hope you'll enjoy it (this is my relaxation after studying for the exams)**

On with it!

_**Too late?**_

"I am such a fool!" Sakura sighed. She had been laying on her bed for hours now, thinking how mean she had been. She all of a sudden realized that she had been treating Lee just like she had been treated by Sasuke, who had been away from Konoha for years now. She had to admit that she didn't like Sasuke anymore. Her childish crush had vanished completely from her thoughts, and even inner Sakura didn't take another second thinking about the cruel Uchiha. But she did find herself thinking about a certain bowl-cut haired boy. One with bushy eyebrows and big eyelashes. One with nice muscles and a great build. One who had always treated her with kindness and love, while she had been so cruel to him, always rejecting him. That is why she had started thinking about it, she had rejected him again today.

She sighed again. She couldn't deny it. Her first thoughts of disgust had changed to feelings of friendship and had now flowed into a love that felt stronger then the kind she had ever felt for Sasuke. She knew this, then why did she reject him again. Was she this scared? Scared to be left again, to have her heart broken again, only to be left all alone with the pieces? She should know better though. Lee wasn't like that. She smiled. She had made a decision. She would go to Lee now, and ask him out herself. She giggled to herself, she couldn't wait to see his face.

Lee was furious. "Neji, how could you have hurt Tenten like that?!" he shouted. The Hyuuga boy just humphed. "She likes you, and you simply blurt out you don't even like her as a friend?!" Neji nodded. "It's the truth" he said. Lee felt like punching Neji right in the face, but instead turned around and walked away. Neji could be such an arrogant prick at times. Now he had hurt Tenten. One of his best friends. Rage was building up inside him.

"Lee-san?"

"What?" Lee snapped and shot his head to the person who had disturbed him. Sakura stood there a bit taken aback. "Erm… I just thought.." she started. "You're no better then Neji!" Lee snapped without thinking. "Do you even know how mean and completely clueless you are?!" he yelled at the pink haired kunoichi. He took a step towards her and she took a step back. "I…" she tried to stutter but Lee interrupted her again. "You think of no one but yourself. Other people's feelings don't matter, as long as you're satisfied, right?" He took another step towards her. Sakura took another step back and felt she hit a tree. Tears were forming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but words didn't come out. This had been a mistake.

"You're no better then Sasuke" Lee spat. This was it. Sakura couldn't take it anymore. Even Lee, the one she believed would always love and cherish her, had now turned against her. She had no one left. Absolutely no one. Tears were streaming down her face while Lee glared at her, worse then Sasuke ever could manage to do. She turned around and ran away.

It was all her own fault. She had waited too long, and now it was too late. Lee's feelings had turned from love to hate, right at the moment when she knew she could be happy with him. She ran and ran until she tripped and fell flat face on the ground. She didn't even bother to stand up again, she just let her tears leek unto the soil. Rain started to fall from the sky and made mud to hold Sakura in earth's grasp.

Lee felt a few raindrops hit his face. "What's your problem?!" he yelled at the sky. "And what's yours?" he heard as reply. Surprised he turned around to find Gai-sensei standing there. He glared at the man who widened his eyes in surprise. "What is that Lee, you glaring at me?" Lee just turned his head. He had better not act too harsh to his sensei. Who knew what could happen. "You know…" started Gai, casually walking towards his angered pupil. "I just saw Sakura-san run by. She was crying rather hard." Lee's expression seemed to change from anger to sorrow. "You seem to have hurt her feelings quite a bit." Gai now scolded. "I thought she was the love of your life?" Lee now stared at Gai. He was right. She was!

What had he done? He had let his feelings take over his heart and make him yell and even insult the one person he loved most in the entire world! "Excuse me Gai-sensei" he said with a quivering voice and ran away in the direction he had seen Sakura take.

Sakura cried and cried. Was it really like this? She probably didn't even deserve love. She had even been able to make Lee-san hate her. Lee! This proved she was nothing but a stuck-up bitch who didn't deserve to live with someone else. Perhaps not even live. She grabbed a kunai and stroked it with her index finger. This would make all people happy. She raised it in the sky, when suddenly, she felt a hand firmly clasp her own, stopping her actions.

"Kakashi-sensei" Sakura uttered

Well, well, that concludes it. Don't be wrong guys, it's truly LeexSaku

Please r&r, and I'll update ASAP (exams and all, ya know)


	2. Did I do this?

Okay, I hope this is fast enough. The one review I got already motivated me enough to keep on writing. And please people, I saw already 29 people had viewed my story, so why not review while you're at it? Please? It'd bring me a lot of joy. Thanks!

Okay chapter 2

_**Did I do this?**_

Sakura was shocked to find Kakashi looking at her with more then his usual indifferent look. He was angry and his eyes shot her with disappointment. He squeezed her hand and she let go of the kunai, letting it drop right in front of her. She followed it with her eyes, and let her head hang, not wanting to look in Kakashi's eyes. A shadow covered her own. Kakashi kept hold of her hand but a bit more gentle.

"Why are you doing this?" Kakashi said firm. "Because…" Sakura said, her voice shaking much like her body did now. "I'm only in people's way, no one cares about me anyways." She wished she could grab the kunai faster then the jounin, but knew she couldn't.

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Lee stopped running seeing how Sakura was on the muddy ground, her hair covering her cast down eyes, tears mingling with the rain, and Kakashi-sensei holding her hand, looking at her with a stern, slightly pained look. "If that was true, I wouldn't have stopped you" he heard Kakashi say. Stopped her doing what. "You're my sensei" Sakura cried. "You're supposed to." Lee saw Kakashi sigh. "And what about that Lee-boy?" Kakashi asked. "He's crazy about you." He let go of Sakura's hand who stood up and turned to look at him, her eyes red. "Not anymore!" she yelled. "He hates me" she picked up her kunai and ran off. Kakashi sighed, and almost jumped after her when he saw Lee emerge from behind the trees. "What is going on?" Lee asked.

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Sakura knew Kakashi could easily catch up with her but she still didn't stop. She was sick of it all. But… he didn't come after her.

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"She what?!" Lee yelled outraged. And he immediately jumped right after her. His beloved flower had wanted to kill herself, and if she had managed to do so, it would've all been his fault. Kakashi had apparently understood not to follow him. He wanted to make sure Sakura was alright himself. Since all of it was his fault to begin with. The rain was now pounding down on him and it was very hard to see anything. But he senses Sakura's presence already, meaning he had gained up on her and she was alright, so far.

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Sakura ran and ran. She saw nothing, and felt nothing…until, SPLASH! She had ran straight into the lake. Nonetheless, she kept running until the water reached her chest, and she just stopped. She cried and cried, lifting her hands out of the water to cover her eyes. She couldn't believe Kakashi-sensei had to see her like that. The rain splashed down hard and brought her even more sadness. Truth was, she really was alone, ever since Naruto had left for training with Jiraiya. Lee had been her only hope, if only she had realized it sooner. She should never have believed Kakashi-sensei's soothing words telling her everything would be like before, for it had been a lie.

She had dropped her kunai a few minutes ago and knew she couldn't retrieve it anymore. And she was scared of drowning. So all she could do was cry, and hope she would be struck by lightning. But even if that happened, it couldn't have surprised her more then the two strong arms, suddenly embracing her. "Please do not cry Sakura-chan" a familiar voice soothed. Sakura slowly dropped her hands and turned around in the embrace. "L-Lee-san" she uttered.

"I am sorry" Lee soothed. "I did not mean what I said earlier, I was angry, yet that is no excuse" Sakura shook her head in his chest. "No, you were right" Sakura cried. "You only said what you always wanted to say." Lee tightened his grip on the kunoichi in his arms. "I did not, Sakura-chan. What I truly mean to say to you is that you are wonderful. You are beautiful, you are nice, and you are one of a kind." Sakura cried even harder. "Please do not cry" Lee whimpered. "I will start crying to" and indeed he did. "The truth is that I love you Sakura-chan, and that is what is in my heart."

Sakura felt like this was her chance. She should tell him right now.

"Hey, Lee-san?"

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"does a cliffy dance" heheh, this is my price for updating fast. A cliffy. I love cliffies . And now it's up to ya'all to review. Please do.

Lee: yes, please review, I want to know what Sakura needs to tell me

Sakura: "grins"

Me: "cough" yea, what they said…


	3. Could you repeat that?

Well, look at that, I suddenly got loads of reviews! "grin" thanks guys! I'll be expecting more for this chapter. Oh, and one more thing, if any of you have any requests in this story, or any ideas, feel free to tell me about them, yes? (but please, no yaoi) How about I answer my reviewers now eh? "grin"

Lostrin: well, you're energetic and you already pleased me with 2 reviews. Thank you. You had to wait, I know, but gee, I can't update every second can I? Okay, I'll TRY to make this chapter longer.

Suani-chan: Thanks, I wanted to make it original. And yea, he's scary isn't he? That's because he's usually so kind.

FinalFantasyFreak1234: hey, I'm a final fantasy freak too "grin" and you too seem like an energetic one. Well, here's the update

Animelover5.6: I love it, but it's hard for me to find original stories. It bummed me out so much I decided to write some myself.

Punkrocker22: well, if she died, there'd be no story eh.

InvaderWeb: me too! Can you recommend me some good ones? Rushed you say? Can you tell me where? Perhaps I can improve it then…

'A'lusy: "grin" the good guy pose? Hahaha, you rock

Sambers: Indeed, and that's what I'm doing it for. I must admit, I hate cliffies in a story that's not mine, but I love writing them myself. Haha, go suspense!!!

**Seeing as seems to be down at the moment… the update might come later then normal. But no biggie, if it's not up by the time this chapter is finished, I'll write the next one already.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Could you repeat that?**_

"Lee-san?"

"Yes sakura-chan?"

For some reason, Sakura found herself unable to say something. Her throat was stuck. But she had to say it! She took a deep breath…

"Say Sakura-chan, how about we get out of this lake, out of the rain and into my apartment?" Sakura hoped the downpour made her now pink cheeks invisible. Also, she cursed herself for not saying it, but she could say it in his apartment… wait, HIS apartment! "Sakura-chan? I understand if you do not wish to" Sakura gasped in a somewhat strange manner. "No, I'd love to Lee-san." She stuttered. Lee gave her genuine smile and quickly led her out of the lake. Sakura shivered. Lee noticing this, lifted her bridal style and rushed off as fast as he could.

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"It seems I owe you an apology, Kakashi" Gai told his rival. "Why?" Kakashi asked indifferently, going trough his ichi ichi book. "For my pupil hurting yours." Kakashi said nothing, but silently smiled behind his mask. He knew everything would be resolved by now. In front of him, Gai was fuming with, what could be called, the power of youth. "Kakashi, you're ignoring me with that cool, sophisticated stance again! You are really worthy of being my rival" Kakashi simply sighed, making Gai fume even harder.

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Lee opened the door and carried Sakura over the threshold. He gently put her down and noticed her cheeks were dangerously flaring up. He held his forehead against hers, blushing a tad. "You are burning up Sakura-chan" he told her matter of factly. "I am?" Sakura replied sheepishly. "How about you get out of those wet clothes?" Sakura blushed and stared at her feet. "W-What?" Lee, suddenly realizing what he said, blushed even harder. "Forgive me Sakura-chan, what I meant was that I would lend you a pair of pyjamas from me." Sakura nodded understandably.

Lee ran off to what would be his room. This gave Sakura the time to look around. The walls were not as green as she would have expected them to be. At the contrary, they were a soft mango colour. A fireplace against the wall was decorated with scented candles and pictures from Lee and Gai-sensei. She picked one up and giggled at the sight of a younger Lee with long, uncut hair and an enthusiastic, fiery look in his eyes. One that could still be recognized as of today. "What is so funny?" a voice asked curiously from behind her. Sakura pointed at the picture. "You look so cute in here." She stated smiling. Lee just blushed. He held out some blue pyjamas for her. "Why do you not go and take a shower?" he asked. "I would not want you to get sick."

Sakura nodded and took the pyjamas from the still red boy. He pointed her to the bathroom and she went in, closing the door behind her. She let the water run and got undressed. Her clothes really were soaked and she wringed the water out of them in the sink before dropping them onto the floor. She took the pyjamas and smelled them. She smiled. They smelled like Lee. Sakura furiously shook her head. "This is it, I've gotta tell him!" She almost ran out again before realizing she was nude right now. "Oh, right." She said to herself. Quickly, she hopped into the shower and let the warm water run over her cooled down body. She couldn't believe she was here, taking a shower in Lee's house. Later on, going to wear HIS pyjamas.

She took a bottle of shampoo and smelled it before dumping some of it on her head. She did the same with the soap and quickly got washed. She then rinsed everything off. She giggled. If this was Naruto's house, while he was there of course, she could trust him to be peeping right now. But she knew lee would never do that, and somehow, she found that to be amusing. She got out of the shower and took a towel to dry herself. This too smelled of Lee, and she felt like she was in heaven. Tears were forming in her eyes because of the bliss she could hardly believe to be real. She quickly wiped them away and smiled to herself.

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Lee was humming happily in the kitchen preparing a quick meal for him and his beloved flower. He still felt guilty for having sunk so low as to yell at his one true love and decided to do everything to make her happy, and to try and make her forgive him. When he had found her, crying in the middle of a lake, as if having tried to run as far as she could manage, he felt his own heart break, especially because he knew he had been the cause of it all. But he had been thrilled knowing she had accepted his offer to join him in his humble house. He kept humming. He had heard Sakura giggle a few times in the bathroom and kept wondering what she was thinking about. But thinking about Sakura-chan in the shower had made him blush ever so easily, and he decided to give his attention fully to the meal he was preparing.

"I'm finished." Sakura said, clearly to no one since she could not see Lee. "Lee-san?"

"In here Sakura-chan, I will be right there" He took two plates out of the closet and nicely put the food on them, decorating it a bit with lettuce and greens. He then took two forks and knives and brought everything with him to the living room. Sakura had already taken place on the couch and he went to sit next to her, putting a plate in front of her, handing her a knife and fork. He could tell she was surprised. "Lee-san, you can cook?" she asked. "A little bit Sakura-chan, I hope you will find it pleasing." Sakura took a bite, let out a moan of content and quickly and not at all elegantly at all the rest. "Lee-san, you're such a great cook!" she chirped when she was finished and satisfied.

Lee's food had barely been touched. He had been staring at Sakura eating the food faster then he could run. "Wow" he uttered. Sakura blushed. "Oh I'm so sorry, that was so very rude of me!" she practically yelled. "I'm really sorry Lee-san, it's just that it was the best thing I've ever tasted in my life and…" Lee grabbed hold of her shoulders to calm her down. "It is nothing Sakura-chan" he smiled at her happily. "I am truly happy you liked it" Sakura grinned. "Sure did" Lee smiled at her. Sakura saw this as some kind of a chance and pecked lee on the cheek as a thank you for the food. Lee was sure that he would've choked, had he had any food in his mouth at that moment. But he didn't and so he finished eating.

Sakura was glad she could still get that kind of reaction out of him. So he didn't hate her after all. "Hey Lee, could we watch a movie?" Sakura asked. "Of course, Sakura-chan, if that is what you want." When they had decided on a movie, Lee put it in and went to get a blanket for Sakura. "Here you are" he offered kindly. Sakura took the blanket gratefully and saw lee sitting kind of far away from her. She sighed. He probably didn't want to be inappropriate. She shifted closer and put part of the blanket around lee. "How about we share the blanket Lee-san?" she asked. Lee blushed and nodded. This was going all too well. His dream seemed to be coming true. Sakura put her head on Lee's shoulder and snuggled really close into him.

When about half the movie was over, Sakura fell asleep, all snuggled up in Lee's warmth. This truly was bliss and she wished time would stop for her right now at this moment. She still had to tell Lee her feelings, but that could wait till the next morning, couldn't it. Lee, who had noticed Sakura had fallen asleep gently put his arm around her and put his chin on top of her head. "Sleep well my sweet Sakura-chan." He too quickly experienced the drowsiness that had overcome Sakura, and he fell asleep with his one true love snuggled up in his arms. As if she truly was his at that moment. And he wished time could stop for him.

The next morning. Sakura opened her eyes and saw a green pillow support her head. Then, she quickly remembered all that had happened the previous day. She felt how Lee's arm was wrapped around her and looked up to see his eyes closed and his head leaning on hers. She smiled and gently gave him a kiss on his lips. And one more. And one more. Sakura giggled. This was something she could keep on doing forever."Lee-san. I love you" she whispered, and gave him another kiss right when his eyes fluttered open.

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Please forgive me for this rather mean cliffy. But oh well, you'll survive.

Please do review

Lee: she loves me!!!!

Me: yeah lee, calm down


	4. How so alone?

Aaaw gee, I'm flattered to see how many people actually read my ficcie. And to those I reviewed, thank you sooo much! I'll answer your kind reviews now.

InvaderWeb: Yeah, I loved that whole idea too so I just had to write it down. Thanks for the review

Animelover5.6: Heheh, okay, I get the point I'm glad you liked it, and thanks a bunch for the review.

Lady Quotes: Aaaw, you can if you want to "grin" well, here's the next chapter

Sambers: Hahaha, I fully understand your reviewers. Glad you like it, thx for the review.

**Again a big thanks to all people who reviewed. I love you all! "sniffle" to those who haven't, please do this time. You see, I put a great deal of time in writing this and I really, really like reviews a lot "grin" I don't have to beg do I? Or did I just do that?**

**On with it**

_**How so alone?**_

Lee blinked rapidly, not quite grasping the situation. "Sakura-chan…" he started nervously. Sakura was too anxious and maybe even a tad scared to answer. How stupid had she been. This was so wrong of her. "Could you please repeat what you just said?" Lee continued. "For I think I heard you say something, you would only say in a dream" and he touched his lips. Sakura was silently beginning to panic. She now understood how brave Lee had been when he had asked her to be his girlfriend, or told her he loved her time after time. She wasn't even brave enough to say it once. Lee on the other hand was waiting patiently.

"I said I-" Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I love you"

There! She said it! Damn you Ino, she was now definitely braver then her. Damn you Sasuke, it's all your own fault, I don't want you anymore right now. Damn you Lee, why are you staring at me like that? Sakura did not move, did not speak and did not even blink. She had said it alright but did Lee really love her still, or just like her as a friend, perhaps she was too late and had now made a total fool of herself. "er…Lee?" she started. Man she was nervous. What had gotten into him? And what had gotten into her? She mentally smacked herself. "I'd like it if you said something now Lee" Sakura stated as normal as she could. She could already feel her eyes filling up with tears. Why did he have to be like that. Lee simply stood up, His body was shaking. He stood there for a few seconds when…

"YOSH!!!" he jumped up and punched the air. He then seemed to pinch himself and when he uttered a loud ow, noticing he really was awake he turned around to face Sakura again, grabbed her hands and looked her in the eye, with his own dark eyes filled with happiness and the typical Gai/Lee-tears. "Do you really mean it Sakura-chan? Do you?" he practically yelled at her. Sakura, still a bit stunned, managed to nod and he once again punched air. "Oh Sakura-chan, I love you too! I love you as much as the sea adores the moon!" he cried out. "I love you as much as the universe is vast, I love you as the shining star you are, filling my darkness with hope!" Sakura sighed. She really did like it when Lee started to talk like that. The problem was, he never stopped. "I understand Lee, thank you" she said, trying to calm him down. That worked for a second… and then he ran off "I have got to tell neji, Tenten and Gai-sensei!!!" he shouted. And he left Sakura standing in his apartment. Well… that was… special. Sakura grinned. And adorable and ever so cute.

Sakura decided to clean up a bit already. She took both plates and brought them to the kitchen she now recognized. After dumping them in the dishwasher she thought that perhaps she should go and tell… Sakura sighed. Who could she tell now? Perhaps she could go to her archenemy who maybe wouldn't pick a fight this time. Ino. She stepped out of the apartment and closed the door. She guessed Lee would find her soon enough if he wanted to. She giggled thinking about him telling a rather indifferent Neji how he finally had managed to conquer her heart.

She could also imagine Lee and Gai-sensei running towards each other, ready to give each other a formidable hug. She turned into Ino's street and waited a few minutes before finally deciding to walk on. She got to the flower shop and walked in, seeing Ino in a conversation with the usually so lazy Shikamaru. When Sakura walked in she looked up and smiled. "Hey, Sakura-chan!" she greeted friendly. "Sakura-chan?" Sakura asked surprised. "What happened to billboard girl?" Shikamaru started to laugh and Ino smacked him on the head.

Sakura laughed a bit. "You two look like you're a couple" she commented. Her eyes widened when she saw both of them blush. "Are you?" she asked bewildered. "Yup" Ino stated matter of factly. "What can I do for you?" Sakura ignored this question. "Oh" she said as realization struck her. "You call me by name again because you gave up on Sasuke-kun!" Ino sighed. "That's right, he's all yours, now what can I do for you?" Shikamaru looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"Actually, I don't want him anymore either" Sakura stated, again ignoring Ino's question. "What do you mean?" Ino asked, clearly surprised. "You've got a boyfriend?"

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"…And when I woke up, she said she loves me!" Gai-sensei pulled Lee in a bone crushing hug. "Good job Lee!" he yelled with a voice filled with emotion. "I told you hard work pays off!" Neji stared a bit at them twirling in their hug. He actually pulled it off? He couldn't believe it but nonetheless, he was happy for his comrade. When Gai let go of Lee, Lee ran towards Neji and hugged him too. Neji tried to push him off but the taller boy kept clinging to him. "I'm so happy Neji! I told you it'd all be alright at some point!" Neji fought the urge to bite him. "That's great Lee, now get off!"

Lee let go right at the minut that Tenten walked in. "Tenten!" he roared in delight and she too was knocked down by lee's overenthusiastic youthfulness.

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"THE Rock Lee?" Ino asked, laughing a bit. "Yup" stated Sakura rather proudly. "But he's… he has…. Bushy eyebrows" Sakura glared at her. "So? He's sweet and romantic and very cute. Also, he at least shows emotion." Ino laughed. You truly are head over heels eh girl? Sakura blushed. "Well, I'm happy for you" meanwhile, snores were escaping a certain boy, now sleeping on the ground, an angry girlfriend sneaking up on him.

Suddenly, they heard some commotion coming from the outside. Surprised voices, some people yelling, others were seen running by. "He's back!" someone yelled. "The Uchiha is back!"

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Er… cliffy? Heheh. Well, you'll all just have to review to fin out. There! Again, please! This chapter took me an hour and a half. A review takes 5 minutes, or two… less perhaps? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Sasuke: Finally, I make my appearance

Lee: nu-uh, she's mine, right Sakura?

Sakura:…

Lee: OO

Me: er…. Review people, you'll find out soon enough if you do.


	5. Whom do you choose?

Feh, just to tease the lot of you, I'm going to write but not post this till like, tomorrow. "sigh" yeah, like I can ever keep that up. I guess I'll post it after it's finished. But first, to answer those who reviewed me with their own youthfulness!!! Yosh!!!

Anonymous3393: Aaaw, kind of sweet, cliffie skills "grin" Oh well, at least I update faster then some (growls at the stories in her alert list)

Animelover5.6: just to say, you write awesome stories!!! Why? Well, to create suspense and turmoil of course!!! Hahaha, but the power of youth will conquer all, or will it?

Lady Quotes: Nah, it takes me away from studying for my stupid math exam. Impatiently eh? Well, just a tad longer…

Sambers: aw, you can't do that! I still need him!

_Guys, does anyone know if it's a given fact that Sasuke returns eventually, surrounded by ANBU, or is that everyone's way of interpreting it?_

_ON WITH IT!!!_

_**Whom do you choose?**_

Sakura gasped and heard Ino do the same. Sakura looked for a slight second at Ino, who was held by the hand by a firm looking Shikamaru. Then she rushed out of the store to go and check out whether or not this was all an illusion. She forgot all about her own world and ran. And she didn't have to run very far, because just a few streets farther she saw how a crowd was forming around a certain person. Sakura wanted to know for sure, she **had** to know for sure, so she pushed trough the mass, she pushed forward and didn't care if people yelled at her or called her names, she had to see if he was truly **him**.

…And he was. Sakura stopped and stared at the dark-haired Uchiha that had been gone for years now. She felt tears form in her eyes as she thought about the loneliness she had endured all this time, about how much she had missed him and she jumped forward to give him a big hug. The people who had been yelling at Sasuke, calling him names, or telling him to just go back and never return again, stopped. It almost felt as if a movie had suddenly been put into mute. All of a sudden, everyone and everything was quiet as Sakura held on tight to Sasuke, her sobs the only thing being heard. She felt how two comforting arms formed around her and was surprised to know Sasuke returned her hug.

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"-And she even kissed me" Tenten sighed. This was going way too far. "And where is she now?" she asked. "In my apartment, still wai- OMG, she is still waiting for me!!!" and thus Lee disappeared in all his youthfulness, leaving a somewhat less youthful Neji and Tenten behind, with a sensei who's eyes were all teary.

Lee ran… well… bounced happily back to his apartment when suddenly someone panicked ran past him. "Hide!" he yelled. Lee stopped to listen to the man. "Sasuke Uchiha has returned!" Lee couldn't bring himself to move anymore. He saw how the man still ran on and disappeared into another street, while he was left alone right there at that very spot. Sasuke had returned, and Sakura… was probably going to leave him. Try and tell him it never happened and ask if they still could be friends. A lot of options flew trough Lee's head, but none of them pictured him and Sakura together.

Sasuke had always been Sakura's one true love, and even though he didn't deserve her, neither did Lee, and she was free to make a choice. He decided nonetheless to go and greet Sasuke, since he knew he wouldn't get a very warm welcome from most villagers, seeing how he aided Orochimaru. Also, he expected to find Sakura there, knowing his apartment would be empty right now.

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The villagers had flared up again. "Don't you know he's a traitor, girl?" someone yelled. "yeah, he doesn't have the right to show up here" Sakura let go of Sasuke and looked pained at the faces of the villagers, right now stained with hatred and fear. "He's one of us!" Sakura roared back. "Have you forgotten that so easily?!" She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Sasuke smiling at her. "Sasuke…"

"Okay, what's going on here?!" Sakura turned again to watch the person she had heard the voice come from. "Tsunade-sensei" she uttered. "Hokage-sama, it's the Uchiha!" Sakura growled. How dared they. _The Uchiha_. He was Sasuke-kun. "Calm down!" Tsunade roared and then walked calmly up to the spot where Sakura and Sasuke stood. "Sakura" she said not at all surprised. "I would've expected you to be here already" she gently pushed Sakura aside and positioned her strongly before Sasuke.

"What makes you show up here?" she asked calmly. "I have fulfilled my mission" Sasuke responded. Sakura could see the truth in his eyes. Had he finally been able to carry out his revenge? Had he killed his brother? "I take it Itachi is gone then?" Tsunade asked, yet again ever so calmly. "Every bit of him" and Sasuke grinned. This scared Sakura a bit. "What of Orochimaru?" asked Tsunade, circling Sasuke like a vulture. Sakura now noticed how his clothes were stained with blood. "He was only a provider for power" Sasuke answered. "I killed and abandoned him, right after Itachi"

"Lies!' shouted someone. "He is here following **his** orders!" Tsunade ignored this and looked into Sasuke's eyes now. He didn't even blink. "I shall believe you" she said "For now, but only because you seem to have **some** people who trust you" and she glanced over at Sakura, who gasped a bit. "Or don't you?" this question was asked directly at the pink haired kunoichi. "I do" she responded. She then directed herself to the mob. "You shall leave the boy alone and go back to what you have been doing. Should he do anything wrong, I will take care of him" Sakura gulped. That didn't sound too good, but the villagers seemed to see this as enough security and did go their own ways again.

"Sakura, thank you" said Sasuke, smiling. He seemed much brighter then usual. Sakura embraced him again and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're back" she sighed.

At the other side of the road, Rock Lee witnessed this with big eyes, his mouth a bit open, and a tear rolling down his cheek. When he saw Sasuke snuggle up in her hair, he turned around and walked away.

He was never good enough for her. Perhaps he should… leave the village

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Eum… sort of a… cliffie? No? Alright, it's like this, and now I mean it: no reviews, no update! Oh no, did that sound harsh? Sorry!!! But, please do review!

Sasuke: I get the girl!!!

Lee: And I get to travel in all my youthful glory

Me: No Lee, that's bad

Lee: "cries"

Sakura: don't I have a say in this?

Everyone: NO!!!

Heheh, but please do review


	6. What about me?

Wow, look at that! The previous chapter has gotten the most reviews from all of them. Keep this up my faithful Lee-lovers. I do hope with all of you that Sasuke burns in hell.

Now to answer my reviewers…

The name Akemi is awesome: wow, cool name! And yup, big one, I just love cliff-hangers.

Animelover5.6: What are talking about? Of course you're worthy!! Silly. Er.. please don't die yet, and yes, everyone hates Sasuke

InvaderWeb: I am very happy, heheh, very good Is it truly how you saw it? Then it's all good, heheh, great even. Thanks for both reviews

Darth Cooper: aw, partially because of your review, I'll update.

Panther eyes: I know that, and you know that, but Lee is so naïve and Sakura a tad stupid

Sambers; okay, he's all yours, if you want it so bad

LittleMopy: your name is cute too here's the update

Gaaraswifey: why? To make people review of course! Lovely eh? But I update quickly, don't I?

**That was all. 8 reviews. I'm happy keep it up eh guys? I'm hoping for even more next time, hoping… but not demanding, okies?**

**On with it!!!**

_**What about me?**_

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked curiously since he hadn't seen the boy around. "Gone on a mission" Sakura sighed. Sasuke frowned. "And what about Kakashi?" Sakura chuckled a bit. "I've seen him for like 2 seconds the other day, but other then that, not in months" she gulped a bit, thinking about what had happened to make him come out. "So, you've been all alone?" he asked. "Like you" Sakura responded sharply. Sasuke chuckled. "You're right"

"But on the other hand…" Sakura suddenly blabbed out, touching her lip. "I've never been truly alone" A confused look was visible in Sasuke's eyes. "I've got Lee" Sasuke's expression seemed to alter a bit for just a second before shifting back. "So, are you two a thing now?" he asked. Sakura opened her mouth to answer but words didn't come out. The truth was, she didn't know. Lee had run off without much sense coming out of him. "I-I've got to go" Sakura said. She had to go find Lee. "Will you be okay by yourselves?" Sasuke smiled. "You heard the hokage, I think I will be safe."

Sakura nodded and left Sasuke standing there, to go to Lee's apartment, something even she was surprised she did. When she got there, she was surprised to see Lee walk out with a bag pack. She stepped towards him, a bit scared of what was going on and placed herself right in front of him, making him look at her with a somewhat confused expression. "Where are you going?" Sakura asked. "Nowhere" Lee responded. Sakura glared at him. "You're a terrible liar, and you're wearing a bag pack" Lee just smiled. "Goodbye Sakura-chan" he gently pushed her aside and started to walk away.

Sakura felt tears come to her eyes as the scene seemed ever so familiar and painful. It was just like when Sasuke had left 3 years ago. "Why?" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. Lee turned around, confused and worried. "You said I wasn't alone, that I got you!" she continued yelling. "And now you're taking off?!" her knees were trembling and she felt her strength fading. This could not happen, not again. Lee now fully turned to face her. "You have got Sasuke." He said, smiling. Sakura flung herself forward and locked Lee in a tight embrace. "But you're the one I want" she said softly. "Please don't go away" she whispered into his green jumpsuit, which she had come to love.

Lee was surprised to say the least. "you are serious?" he asked, trembling. "You are not choosing him?" Sakura shook her head. "I was doubting at first" she said, and this made Lee's heart twinge in pain. "-But when I saw you leave, it hurt so much, I wanted to do anything to keep you here. I felt so much more pain then when Sasuke left. Please, if you leave now, I won't survive." Lee gasped a little. "I do not wish for that." He said a bit worried. "I will not leave" Sakura couldn't help but smile. This time she didn't fail. This time, he would stay. "Thank you" she sniffled.

Sasuke, doing his best to stay hidden, saw this al develop under his nose. And he was not happy to say the least. "So, she **is** together with Lee" he growled. "Was I stupid to not have accepted her?" he felt his whole body ache while watching the hug between the two lovers. "But I will make her mine again, she just forgot she loves me" he grinned. "That must be it" He suddenly felt a heavy strike on his head. Swiftly turning around, he saw an indifferent looking Kakashi read his ichi ichi book, his right fist still lifted. "Took you long enough to return Sasuke" his right eye turned away from his book and to Sasuke. "I missed you"

Sasuke growled at him. "You are a very cruel man" Kakashi looked up in surprise and confusion. "You and Naruto both!" he yelled. Still, Kakashi did not know what he was getting at. "Leaving Sakura all alone like that, I'm surprised she didn't kill herself" He didn't know he was right on target and the truth was that he was angry because Lee had gotten the chance to be the knight in shining armour for Sakura. "Now, now Sasuke, calm down" the truth was, Kakashi suddenly felt a wave of guilt hit him. Had that been the true reason?

Sasuke did calm down though. "I've missed you too" he mumbled. Kakashi smiled with his right eye. "What's going on?" a voice asked. "Sakura" Sasuke turned around. As soon as Sakura saw Kakashi she took a nervous step back, hitting her own, green rock behind her. "Kakashi-sensei" she whispered a bit, seeing as her voice didn't allow her to do anything else. Kakashi bowed a bit to her level as he so often did and smiled genuinely at her. "It's good to see you Sakura" Sakura looked at him and smiled. "Yes, I think so too" she answered a bit more happy this time.

"Good day Sasuke" Lee greeted happily, as if he saw the boy every day. Sasuke growled in response. "Well, it seems our Sasuke is his old grumpy self again" Kakashi stated. Sakura giggled at this. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and looked up smiling, seeing the face of Lee float above hers, smiling as well. Sasuke growled some more, but this time too himself. "Now all we are missing is Naruto" said Sakura. Kakashi didn't answer. He was a bit taken aback. A student of his was going with a student of Gai's? Oh well, why not. And he indifferently turned back to his book.

"-And then, he served me my 23rd bowl of ramen" sounded a voice in the distance. Sakura turned around to see the one and only Naruto, tightly wrapped in conversation with Neji, whose head was turned the other way, simply ignoring the loud blond. "Naruto!" Sakura yelled happily. She ran towards him and gave him too, a hug. It had been way too long. Naruto blushed. "What is this Sakura-chan?" he asked a bit softer. "Have you suddenly fallen in love with me?" This resulted in a punch from Sakura. But not one too hard, she **was** happy to see him after all. "I've just missed you, you dope!"

Naruto grinned, holding his cheek in his hand. "I'm happy to see you too, Sakura" he said. Kakashi seemed to be sad. She indeed had been lonely. He sighed. He wouldn't let this happen again. "Oh, you have **got** to see who has returned!" said Sakura and she pointed to Sasuke who was half hidden behind Kakashi. Naruto's eyes widened, he then slowly went towards Sasuke and… punched him in the face. "Took you long enough teme!!!" Sasuke glared at him. "Why is everyone hitting me today?" Kakashi chuckled. "It's cause we wuv you" said Naruto childishly. His eyes then filled with tears. "I've missed you so" he said, then hugged Sasuke, who tried to push him off.

Neji had meanwhile taken a stance next to Lee. "It seems your rival has returned" he said softly to Lee. "How so, my dear Neji?" asked Lee. Neji pointed at Sakura, and Lee just smiled. "Oh, don't worry about that Neji" Neji stared a few seconds at Lee and then just turned back to Sasuke, who had changed a lot to his opinion. Not that it mattered. Neji had changed too. His hair had grown even longer, and he had even reached the state of jounin. Sasuke could never stand up to him.

"Sakura, can I talk with you for a second?" Sasuke suddenly asked out of the blue. Sakura looked at Lee, who just nodded. "Okay" she responded, and they went to sit on a bench, ironically, the same one where Sasuke had left her on, the day he had left. Sakura felt Lee's eyes on her back, and was grateful, but she knew he could never hear them. "So, what's the problem Sasuke?" she asked friendly. "I just wanted to tell you…" Sasuke started

"-I love you"

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I am sooo evil!!! Heheh, well, just review and find out what happens next, I suppose.

Lee: What? That was not fair!!!

Sasuke: Haha, I made my move!

Sakura: wow, everyone loves me all of a sudden

Me: but who do **you** love?

Sakura:…

Me: heheh, do review!


	7. Does it hurt?

It seems you're all on the verge of killing me so I decided to continue writing now. For those who care, exams went wonderful!! For most who don't: meh! Wow, enthusiastic reviews I must say. Let's answer all of them, clearly still in the springtime of youth "presents the good guy pose"

Azuka knight: Wow, you demand it even? Well, I guess I could continue, heheh. Enjoy

Firerose 1300: Great! Well, here it is then

Anonymous3393: Well, I'm not most people, and Sasuke saw that if he waited too long, Lee would definitely steal her heart away. Aaaw, I'm mean? Just for that, I'll end THIS chapter with another cliffie, so bleh "grin"

Gothic Saku-san: "grin" of course you do. Here it is

Animelover5.6: "grin" thank you. Hey, don't bash Sasuke too much. I may love Leexsaku but Sasuke has his good sides too…what am I saying? Do whatever you want with him

Sambers: I wouldn't know either. Heheh, so this is my guess

Darth Cooper: yeah, as it is killing everyone. "grin" I love doing this to you guys! Hahaha

**And about Neji being a jounin. He really is! In the anime too! It is so awesome!!! So, I just had to mention it. "grin"**

**Oh, and I've got a confession to make to you guys. I have no idea how this is going to end. I am totally making this up as I go, I have since the first chapter, haha, sorry **

**On with it!!!**

_**Does it hurt?**_

"You… what?" Sakura gasped. Lee saw Sakura gasp, but decided not to ruin the conversation between the two. He trusted Sakura with all his heart. Sasuke stared intently into Sakura's eyes. "Come on, leave that Lee-guy and be mine" Sakura felt a rush of anger bubble up, one that Lee even saw coming. She rose up quickly from the bench and smacked Sasuke harshly in the face. "How dare you?!" she now roared. Sasuke stared at her with big eyes. Of all the possible outcomes, this had been one he didn't foresee.

"You're the one who left me, three years ago!" she continued, resisting the urge to kick him. "And now you tell me you love me?!" Sasuke ushered her to keep her voice down but everyone had already heard her. Lee was beholding the scene with his breath held. "Well, guess what, I belong with Lee, not you!" a few people turned to look at Lee, who suddenly found his shoes to be extremely interesting. A smile decorated his lips. And although he couldn't see it, Neji standing next to him was smiling too, happy for his friend/rival.

"You can't be serious!" Sasuke said loudly. "This is a joke right?" Sakura glared at him, then turned her back to the Uchiha and walked over to Lee. "I am still your friend though" she said reassuringly. She didn't want Sasuke to disappear for another 3 years. "I know" Sasuke said more to himself then to her. "Well, that was harsh" Naruto said who suddenly sat next to Sasuke. "I've been shot down by her too, a number of times" and he grinned. Sasuke knew this but he couldn't help but feel his heart give a painful twitch. It had been his own fault. If only he had treated her better in the past, perhaps now he could have… A hand waving in front of Sasuke brought him out of his trance. "Sasuke, Ino is talking to you" Naruto said after Sasuke had roughly slapped his hand away.

He looked up at the taller blond girl, he hardly recognized as Ino. Everyone had grown up so much. Now she had even longer hair then before and part of it was covering her right eye. Behind her trudged a lazy Shikamaru. "What is it?" he growled. Ino smiled. "I'm happy to see you're back" she said. Sasuke was surprised by the lack of flirting he was experiencing here, until he saw how Shikamaru grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go now" he said, clearly still finding Sasuke competition.

Ino ruffled Shikamaru's hair and gave him a playful kiss. He hadn't changed as much, he had only gotten taller. "Don't worry, you're still my number one" she said. "Well, bye Sasuke, Shikamaru needs attention." Sasuke just growled and watched how the two walked away, hand in hand. He couldn't say he hadn't seen that coming. Those two were destined for each other.

Sakura let out a happy sigh. For a second, she had thought Ino would fall back to her old crush and leave Shikamaru for what he is, but she didn't. She guessed she felt a little sorry for Sasuke but hey, he'd get over it. Right now, everyone needed to start trusting him again and soon enough his fan club would return to him. "Sakura, I have noticed something" Lee said to her, acting like he was a teacher. Sakura looked up to the tall boy in a confused way. "And what would that be?"

"I have watched closely how you hit Naruto and Sasuke" he said holding his chin in his right hand. "- And right now, sure enough you posses a lot of strength but your movements and therefore efficiency are a tad …in need of training" he said. By the end of the sentence he already felt sorry he had said anything at all. "I am only pointing this out to you in a friendly way" he said, raising his hands in defence already, knowing he could easily dodge a punch from her, but still fearing the kunoichi he so loved. "And what are you suggesting then?" Sakura asked, clearly not mad. She was even acting in a playful manner.

"Well… that is-" Lee started to stutter. "I suppose… perhaps – though not to force you – if you would wish it… I could… well… train you?" It took him long enough to say it and Sakura squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Well, if that's what you think would be best, fine, but-!" and she raised a finger at this "I'm NOT running any laps" Lee immediately started to object. "But running laps is youthful!" he argued. "Running towards a sunset makes tears spring to one's eyes out of contentment and joy, while the running freshens your youthful body and at the same time your youthful mind."

Now, Sakura's eye began to twitch. "I am not running laps" she growled. "Forget it, no way, never in your life!" Lee sighed when he saw he couldn't convince his beloved and hung his head. Sakura stroked his hair. "Oh cheer up, I already agreed on you training me" she said. "And what, may I ask, is my purpose then?" asked Kakashi clearly humoured. Gai started laughing hard because of this statement. Kakashi…ignored him. "Oh come on sensei" Sakura said as she playfully hit him on the arm. "Lee is the best taijutsu master I could wish for" at this, Gai scraped his throat. "-Because he of course learned from the best" Sakura continued. She felt like she was setting everyone up against her. "And I've already trained under Tsunade too, right?" she quickly glanced around to find help, but saw that Neji had already left for home, Naruto was making fun of Sasuke who sat with his eyes closed on the bench, Gai was laughing too hard, and Lee was looking amused too. And Kakashi was the one she was arguing with." He patted her on the head like he used to do, and for some reason, that made her feel happy.

"I was only kidding Sakura" he said smiling. Sakura simply smiled back at him, relieved. "When do we start?" Sakura asked, facing Lee again. "Right now!" he said excited and pulled her with him to the training grounds. Sakura dared not make an objection as she was kind of glad to be away from that tense place they were before. Sasuke, who had told her he loved her, Naruto, who had asked her if she loved him, and Kakashi being all jerky. She was glad she could relieve some stress. "Hey, no running I said!" she yelled at Lee, when she noticed they were running to the training grounds. "This is not a lap" Lee said back to her. "This is being eager to start"

Sakura smiled. Lee was so cute. When they arrived, she was out of breath, while Lee was bouncing up and down. "How about we start with a sparring match, so I can see what I am dealing with" he suggested. Truth be told, Sakura was rather scared to spar with Lee. He was so much better and stronger then her, but on the other hand, he wouldn't truly hurt her, would he? He suddenly fell into an attack stance and Sakura did the same as if it were a reflex. Lee had put his hand forward, suggesting Sakura to attack first. Still a bit scared, she decided to listen before he would start.

It seemed Lee was a much crueller teacher then boy. When Sakura had leapt forward to attack him head on, he had merely stepped aside and hit her hard on the back, causing her to crash down onto the ground hard. "Not good Sakura, where is your intention?" Sakura looked up at Lee with a pain struck face. "Intention?" she asked. "You have to want to hit me, for as you have noticed, if you do not, I **will** hit you." Sakura nodded and took on her attack stance again.

She dashed forward, ready to break his nose when he suddenly grabbed her arm, and thrust his palm upwards, right on her elbow. She felt how the bone had cracked under the pressure and was then once again thrown on the ground, seeing how Lee had noticed nothing.

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Er… sort of a…. cliffie? Maybe a small one.

Okay people, please review and give me ideas! Ideas are very much needed, and of course do tell me what you think.

Lee: I broke her arm?

Sasuke: you bastard!

Sakura: that was rather painful, now what?

Me: who knows, we'll see next time, I guess.


	8. Can you trust me?

Here's chapter 8. I know, it's a little later then usual but I'm sure you'll understand. "grin" I hurt my leg and now I'm immobilized, means more time to write eh. Okay, let me answer my reviewers now (less then usual again, please don't give up my reviewers for that is very unyouthful"

Animelover5.6: You are so one of my elite reviewers "grin" And I understand your deep dark hate completely. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it'll hurt. Oh, well…

Darth Cooper: Isn't it? I thought so too. And yeah, I want to hug him too, so very much "hugs Lee" voila.

Lady Quotes: you too are one of my elite reviewers! Well, it's not like he did it on purpose! He was just too caught up in training, as always.

Sambers: And you are elite reviewer number 3. He'll notice soon enough, it's not like it can't be noticed eh.

Gothic Saku-chan: Yeah, poor her indeed! Here's the update

**Okay, thanks to my reviewers but I'm expecting loads more! I'm trying to break my record of highest amount of reviews, and as long as I don't reach that, I'll continue putting down cliffies, so there.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Can you trust me?**_

Sakura clutched her arm to her side and looked up at Lee who was standing a mere few feet away from her, staring intently as if he really was a teacher. "Come on Sakura-chan, get up" he said. He was such an oblivious boy. Sakura felt tears spring to her eyes as the pain took over her entire system. Lee dropped his attack stance and worry shone in his eyes. "Sakura-chan?" Sakura gulped a bit and tried to stand up, but her legs trembled far too much. "Lee-kun" she said with a quivering voice. "I think you broke my arm."

Lee quickly moved to Sakura and helped her up. He examined her arm and flinched when she cried out in pain by a mere touch. "I think you are right" he stated trembling on his feet, clearly mortified by the fact that he broke Sakura's arm. Tears were now filling his eyes as well. But he wouldn't let his emotions take the upper hand right now. He carefully scooped Sakura into his arms and ran to the hospital, uttering apologies the entire way there. Sakura kept telling it was all right but she was hurting nonetheless, and eventually she didn't even take notice of his apologies anymore.

When they did arrive there, they were in luck to find Tsunade right there. "Tsunade-sama" Lee yelled as loudly as he possibly could. Tsunade turned around rather irritable until she saw how Sakura was carefully held in Lee's arms, a pained expression striking her face. "What happened?" she asked quite angry "We were sparring" Lee explained. "I accidentally broke her arm" tears were streaming down the boy's face and Tsunade thought he already felt guilty enough. She wouldn't bother him with a lecture now. She sighed and gestured for Lee to go into a certain room. Lee immediately rushed in there.

"Put her on the table" Tsunade ordered. "Sakura, stop being such a baby, you're hurting Lee" Tsunade stated calmly. Sakura opened her watery eyes and looked up at Tsunade. "Tsunade-sensei" she muttered. "I'm sorry but it hurts" Tsunade glanced at her, knowing she wasn't really being a baby, but the tormented face of Lee bothered her into annoyance. Lee crashed down into a chair and put his face into his hands, sobs loudly echoing trough the room. "Stop crying Lee-kun" Sakura said, forcing her voice to not sound as pained.

"It's a simple procedure, you know that" Tsunade told Sakura. "So, lay still for a few seconds." Sakura nodded, knowing it really was very simple, but she herself had been incapable of healing jutsu when her concentration was disturbed by waves of pain. Lee's sobbing never decreased and Sakura felt guilty, even though she knew she shouldn't. Tsunade muttered some words and her hands started glowing green. She held her hands neatly above Sakura's arm and soon, Sakura's expression turned from pain to relief.

"You're done" Tsunade said, pushing Sakura off the table. "Don't be so rough next time, okay?" Sakura nodded gratefully to her sensei and walked over to Lee who was still sobbing. She gently put her hand on his shoulder and he looked up with puffy, red eyes. "Come on, Lee, I'm already back to my old self" she comforted. "Please stop crying." Lee smiled weakly at her. "I am truly sorry Sakura-chan. For this, I should be shot out of a cannon right into the open ocean and drown a thousand times" he sobbed again. "I should be stabbed, punched and I"

Sakura kissed him firmly, to stop him from saying such things. She didn't want her lee to suffer, or die for that matter. She stroked his hair and broke the kiss. "Please don't talk like that Lee-kun" she said sadly. Tsunade meanwhile left, growling about kids and their hormones. "Accidents happen" Sakura continued. "So, don't feel sad." She pulled him into a comforting hug. "I promised to protect you" Lee said loudly "And I can't even protect you from myself" Sakura pinched his shoulder a bit. "Lee, cut it out, please." Lee took her hand. "If that is what you wish" he said sadly.

"I love you Lee" Sakura said. Lee smiled. "I love you too, my angel" They walked out of the hospital and decided that maybe they should be heading home, since it was getting rather dark. Lee, still sad and gloomy, of course made sure Sakura got home safely and escorted her. "Are you sure you are okay now?" he asked, searching for reassurance. "Yes, I am Lee" Sakura stated firmly. She put both her hands on his cheeks and lowered his head so she could reach it, and kissed him. "Goodnight" she said and went inside her empty house. Her parents were on a mission yet again. "Goodnight" Lee said sadly as the door closed in his face, then slowly trudged back home.

Sakura immediately went to sleep. She was extremely tired because of all that had happened today. And from the moment she closed her eyes, the veil of dreams covered her sleeping form. This veil quickly darkened though and she could be seen tossing and turning in her bed as if having a nightmare. Naturally, it didn't take long to happen: she opened her eyes, roughly shot up straight and buried her face in her hands. "Lee!" she yelled loudly, him being the first coming to her mind, needed to protect her in this empty, dark house. "Lee-kun" she sobbed more softly, a streak of blood slipping down her face.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

I don't think this could be considered a cliffie but to hell with that, I can't write good cliffies every time, can I? But I'll come up with one soon enough.

This chapter is slightly shorter then the others but yeah, do enjoy anyways.

And review people! Help me break my record!

Sasuke: I didn't even appear into this chapter

Lee: I am such a bad boy!

Sakura: aaw Lee, come sleep with me now

Me: Sakura, shut up. Okay guys, review


	9. Will you be here?

Aw, look at all the reviews thanks guys. Well, I'll update again. I wonder what'll happen, I really do. But first of all, let me answer the lot of you

RedFirePhoenix: Wow, thanks for the reviews. 3 of them, if I'm not mistaken. Fun eh, when your favourite couple is still fresh, then there are many stories to read. Complicated? A good complicated or a bad one. The blood will be talked about right now, this story.

Gothic Saku-chan: You do? Me too " heheh. Yeah, poor Lee, he's just so cute.

Sambers: Yay, one of my 3 elite-reviewers. Er…what's the 1337 dance? Hahaha, mayhem? Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?

Yin Yang-Animal: Good, I'm glad

Animelover5.6: aha, my second elite reviewer. No problem "grin" Hahaha, you're absolutely right, that's why I love Lee

Firerose1300: Love your name by the way. It did? Wow, should I be sorry for you?

Troublesome writer: So this is your new name? I adore it!!! It's wonderful. Very original. Yup, I do like to grin. I don't know why, but when I write it down I actually am grinning. Aaaw, how sweet! I'm glad you think it's unpredictable, but that could be because I have no idea what I'm doing. Seriously, I have no idea right now what happens in this chapter. Haha. I'll try to write cliffies, but so many stuff happened already so I'm running out of ideas. But I'll think of something.

Lady Quotes: Hi elite reviewer number 3. Haha, Sasuke? Who knows

**Okay, that was all of them. Yay me. Now, do you guys have any ideas? I'll be happy to read about them, okies?**

**On with it!**

_**Will you be here?**_

Sakura touched her face and winced as she was struck with pain and the gory substance of her blood. She searched trough the darkness as if expecting the cause of this wound to suddenly jump her. But it didn't, so she just got up from her bed, slipping on her slippers. She brushed her hair out of her face and slowly walked over to the mirror. Turning on the lights, she saw that she had a small gash above her right eye, one that was bleeding ferociously. She was scared. Her dream, or rather nightmare had been one in which she was on a mission, fighting someone far stronger then herself. She got hurt, right above her right eye. Still trembling on her feet, she performed a healing jutsu that healed this small wound. She got down to the bathroom and washed her face.

The red blood, now mixed with swirling water slowly made its way down the drain, disappearing forever, getting rid of each trace that something happened, and soon, Sakura even doubted if it had happened, or if it was all part of some weird dream. She dried her face with a fresh, fluffy towel and got out of the bathroom. She sighed as she felt how she had spilt some water on her shirt. She quickly waved this irritation away though, and started climbing the stairs again. Ascending back to her room. She didn't know why she had cried out for Lee several minutes ago. Truth be told, she would have felt safe, had the boy shown up to comfort her. No one ever did that for her anymore. Everyone was always gone, her parents too.

She twisted the doorknob and stepped inside the darkness she had recreated after turning off the lights. She walked over to her bed and crashed down in a rather pitiful way. She had her arms stretched over one side of the bed, her waist supported by the entire bed, and her legs just a small part. The biggest part was dangling over the edge. "Bleh" she said with her face in the sheets. "I will no be able to sleep this night" She sighed and turned her head so her mouth wasn't shut by the sheets anymore. "Sakura-chan?" sounded a voice out of the darkness. Sakura swiftly jolted back up right, leaped out of her bed, lost her balance and fell on her bottom, onto the hardwood floor. "Itai." She said loudly.

She heard chuckling and started realizing who was really in her room. "Sasuke-kun" she stated surprised. And as if on queue, he stepped out of the darkness, in front of Sakura's window, his face lit up by the moonlight. "What are you doing here?" Sakura asked a bit dazed. She took a step back. She didn't know why, but the appearance of Sasuke in her room, in the middle of the night, frightened her. Sasuke simply took a few steps towards her. "Well, Sakura, I heard you scream for" he coughed. "Your lover. But seeing as he didn't come, I thought I would come up and see if you were alright."

Sakura's back was now touching the wall. "How did you get in?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Your window was open" Sasuke stated. He was way too close at this point. "You know Sakura" he whispered in her right ear, holding her hand. "Your slap the other day really hurt me" Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. "Are you okay, why did you scream?" he asked, as if wanting to change the subject. His forehead was now pressed against hers. "I-I had a nightmare" Sakura stuttered. "But I'm okay now, you can leave." Sakura grinned. "Tsk, tsk, Sakura" he said in an almost soothing voice. "Are you that desperate to get rid of me?"

Sakura didn't know what to respond. She wouldn't benefit from either answer. Yes or no. Sasuke's free hand found its way to her waist. And pulled her even closer to his very warm body. And then, without any form of warning, his lips were pressed against hers. Not rough, but gentle. His lips were smooth and soft, but they tasted bitter and wrong, unlike Lee's. She tried to pull away from him but he was too strong. His tong explored her lips but she kept them shut tight. He pinched her in her arm and she softly squeaked into his mouth, giving him the opportunity to invade hers. But Sakura wouldn't let him take advantage of her and she bit down onto his tong. Not hard, but hard enough for him to retreat.

"Please stop Sasuke" she begged as his eyes glared deeply into hers. "I don't love you anymore." His hand caressed her face and played with her hair. He smiled and lifted the kunoichi up from her standing place. He then placed her on the bed. Sakura tried to kick him, but Sasuke simply blocked the kick, then quickly placed himself on top of her. He held both of her arms and started nibbling her neck. A moan escaped Sakura's lips, even though she knew this was wrong. She mentally kicked herself and tried to bite into one of Sasuke's arms, but he quickly retreated the limb, which then shot to her chest. "Stop!" Sakura screamed and she started hitting him on the head.

Sasuke, who couldn't appreciate this, bit down on her neck, and drew blood, making Sakura wince in pain. "You are mine Sakura" he stated simply and licked away the blood from her neck. Sasuke then slipped his hand underneath Sakura's shirt, and she developed goose bumps. She screamed and Sasuke's other hand shot to her mouth. "Don't worry my love, I will be gentle" he said, trying to sound soothing. "But I wouldn't want that Lee-kid to take away your innocence, you deserve someone better, someone like me." Tears filled Sakura's eyes and she bit down hard, really hard into the hand covering her mouth.

Blood seeped down onto her face now, and Sasuke winced a bit. Nonetheless, he refused to let her go, and now held her a bit harder. He kissed her again and Sakura felt her night table for something. When she found it, she planted the kunai deep into his arm, making Sasuke scream in pain. "That's it Sakura-chan!" he roared. "I try to be gentle, but clearly you want it to be rough!" he raised his hand to smack her, when suddenly…

"Konoha whirlwind!!!"

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

I have no idea where this came from! But I'm not dissatisfied with this chapter. Actually, I rather like it, you tell me what you guys thought, alright? Heheh, cliffies here, cliffies there, cliffies everywhere. If you wish for me to continue, do review.

Lee: Man, now it's me who didn't appear in the chapter

Sasuke: And I was hurt by a girl!

Sakura: You bastard, you deserved it

Me: that's right. Oh well, please review.


	10. Lonely too?

I'm pleased with last chapter, so I hope this one will be good too. Also, I seem to be getting a regular amount of 8 reviews per chapter, no matter who reviews. Hahaha, I find it incredibly funny, really But it's a nice amount. Now, to answer you all…

Panther eyes: Too literally? How so? Sakura doesn't love Sasuke you know. Nope, it's Gai-sensei to the rescue! "grin" only he and Lee know the konoha whirlwind.

Lady Quotes: Really? I have been doing this on purpose the entire time! Heh. Good of you to see trough Sasuke. That bastard "growl" though it is my fault he did this… oh well…

The name Akemi is awesome: Nope, not Lee, but Gai-sensei. "grin" yeah, right, that would be stupid. Yup, Sasuke indeed did it, no turning back now.

LeeLover09: Really? Aaaw, thanks Well, I thought I wanted to do something slightly different.

Darth Cooper: Yes, I must do that. Haha, don't you just love it? Sasuke must die? I don't know about that…but he deserves pain.

Animelover5.6: Don't worry, I like hyper people. Yup, Lee will kick some serious ass, and Sasuke's going to be the uke (the receiver)

Sambers: Sorry! Stupid me okay leet. Hahaha, that's Lee's job you know.

Gothic Saku-chan: don't I always update soon? "gloats with pride" anyways, enjoy!

**Okay, that was all of them. Thanks a bunch!!! I'm happy because the exams are finally over and Christmas is approaching, so on Christmas, I'll write a Christmas chappie! Remind me of that eh?**

**On with it!!!**

_**Lonely too?**_

Sakura felt a familiar gush of wind graze her tear stained face, as Sasuke was thrown off of her roughly. Sasuke hit the wall with a loud thud and slid down said wall, his piercing eyes searching for his attacker. "Lee-kun" Sakura uttered. Lee seemed to be fuming, more like nearly exploding. It was indeed a rare sight to see him angry, but Sakura had rarely seen anyone get as furious as he was right now. Sakura didn't know how she should feel right now. Pleased with Lee saving her from Sasuke, or embarrassed for him having found her like this.

Sakura only hoped the mostly oblivious boy realized she didn't have a say in the matter and was forced. "Are you okay Sakura?" Lee asked. Sakura sensed he was doing his best not to sound angry, and he was not succeeding. Though she was pleased to hear the hint of worry in his voice. "Thanks to you" she said, her voice still trembling with tears weighing heavily on her chest. Sasuke got up from his sitting position slowly and Sakura saw how Lee clenched his fists, his nails digging into his own palm, drawing blood.

She dared not tell him not to though, seeing in what state he was in. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked reasonably angry, wiping his face with the back of his hand. A growl escaped Lee's throat. "I am here because my blossom needs me" he said trough clenched teeth. "And in addition, I am allowed to be here" Sasuke smirked. "As am I" he said. "I'm sure Sakura enjoyed it" Sakura would have dashed forward and hit him square in the face, had Lee not already done that.

His speed was remarkable, since his feet barely touched the ground. Sasuke was astonished to not be able to see him. And before he realized it, Lee had grabbed him by the collar and made his fist connect with his jawbone, making the boy fly right out of the window. Lee jumped after him and made sure he didn't land safely as he connected his knee right with Sasuke's back, then connecting another movement to his previous and stretching his leg to kick the Uchiha right in the side, causing him to skid about the ground.

He then dashed forward and plunged his elbow into Sasuke's belly. Sasuke crashed hard into the street, rocks flying up, as he went down. "I take it you have a good reason for disturbing the sleep of these good people with your… sparring" sounded an indifferent voice. Lee, stopping with his fist mere inches in front of Sasuke's nose, looked up to reveal the one and only rival of his own sensei. "Kakashi-sensei" he addressed politely. The angriness he held slowly subdued and he looked back at the now cowering Uchiha below him.

Kakashi was clearly still waiting for an explanation, and Lee took in a breath. "He deserved every punch and more" he stated. "I'm sure he did" Kakashi answered friendly. "Do tell me what happened." Lee grabbed Sasuke by the collar and threw him towards Kakashi. "Just make sure he stays away from Sakura from now on" he growled. Kakashi was surprised to say the least. Rock lee was not one to get mad easily, and to have seen him in such a furious state, just blew his mind. He took Sasuke by the wrist and disappeared, ready to talk to the boy now in his care.

Lee simply watched them leave, and then quickly jumped right back into Sakura's residence. She was not to be found in her room though. "Sakura-chan?" Lee asked rather unsure. He hoped he hadn't scared Sakura with his outburst, but he hadn't been able to control his anger. He opened the one door in her room and went down the stairs he had found. Sounds were now reaching his ears. Sobbing and something more subtle, he couldn't quite make out. The sounds were coming from behind another door and he politely knocked.

"Sakura-chan? May I come in, please?" He heard a sound that sounded more like a yes then a no and decided to wager it was yes. He twisted the knob and found Sakura, brushing her teeth, tears falling down her face. She spat out the foamy substance and rinsed her mouth with water. "Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Lee asked softly, his hand stroking her hair. She flung her arms around Lee's neck and started sobbing into his shirt. "I couldn't even stop him" she sobbed. "He wouldn't leave me alone." Lee wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you" he heard escape her lips. "No need in thanking me Sakura-chan" Lee said soothing. "I will always be here for you, to save you from danger" Sakura half sobbed, half giggled at that. "Thank you Lee" Lee sighed and lifted the girl up, bridal style. It ripped his heart apart to see his cherry blossom cry. He placed a kiss on her lips and started carrying her up the stairs again, wanting her to get some sleep. Sakura was pleased with the taste of the kiss now. It was sweet instead of bitter and felt right instead of wrong.

"What happened to Sasuke?" asked Sakura, still a bit scared. "Kakashi-sensei has taken him with him" Lee explained. "He's gone now." Sakura smiled and snuggled up in Lee's arms, until he let her down gently on the bed, then going to the window, ready to jump out again. "Wait!" Sakura yelled desperately. "I would really like it…if you stayed here with me tonight" Lee blinked. "Why would you want that Sakura-chan?" He was glad the darkness hid his blush.

"I'm lonely, Lee-kun" she said sadly. "And I love you, I want you here with me" Lee turned around and kneeled in front of Sakura's bed, stroking her hair out of her face. "you are lonely?" he asked soothingly. "Then, I will stay" And at this he placed himself onto the hardwood floor. "What are you doing?" asked Sakura, stifling a giggle. "Going to sleep" answered Lee, not understanding what was so funny.

Sakura took his hand and gently pulled him up into her bed. "You're sleeping with me" she said calmly. "I-I really do not think this is proper for a man to do Sakura-chan" Lee tried to protest. "It is if the woman wants the man to" Sakura answered slyly, and successfully pulled him in. Lee gave up and placed himself into the preheated bed. Sakura placed herself quickly into his arms, smiling happily. Lee once again wrapped his arms around his own kunoichi, enjoying the bliss he felt himself in.

And this is how they fell asleep, snuggled up into each others warmth, enjoying each others company and wanting to stay like this forever.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

The next morning, they woke up rather early. Sakura had been the first on to awaken and since she really had to utilise the toilet, she left the safe warmth that were Lee's arms. Lee simply groaned and turned his head a little, his hair falling into his face. Sakura brushed it away and took a few seconds to gaze at him. He really was adorable while sleeping. Seeing as her reason for getting up was becoming more urgent, she quickly, but quietly rushed down the stairs.

When she was gone, Lee opened his eyes and grinned slyly. He had felt Sakura brush away his hair and gaze at him lovingly. This is how he knew she surely loved him. He had not wanted to interrupt the blissful feeling he had gotten from her eyes on his 'sleeping' form and had thus refused to open his own. But now he stretched with a loud yawn and got out of the bed that had been clearly warmer then Sakura's room. It was winter after all. The light coming from the outside lit up Sakura's room, giving Lee the ability to look around.

It was truly a cosy room he had found himself in. Although there wasn't much furniture, the room was messy and lived in. Lee laughed at how sloppy his cherry blossom truly was. He sighed. Oh, how he loved her. Her name alone she had found beautiful, fitting, yet frightening at the same time. Cherry blossoms were much cherished in his country. For one, they were beautiful, just like his own cherry blossom, and second of all, they had a dramatically short lifespan of mere days. Lee quickly shook this thought away seeing how strong his flower was in mind. He was sure that if someone would treat the cherry blossoms with much love and care, they would live on for many years. He smiled at himself for being so lucky.

"Haruno Sakura, I love you" Lee subconsciously said out loud. "Love you too Lee-kun" answered a voice. Lee turned around to look at the doorframe Sakura was leaning up against. "Oh, Sakura-chan" Sakura giggled and walked into her room, towards Lee. She gave him a playful kiss on the lips. "How about we go and grab something to eat?" she asked her beloved. Lee nodded, willing to go anywhere as long as Sakura was with him.

Obviously, they soon found themselves at the Ichiraku ramen stand. They took their seat and were quickly served with the ramen they had come to love. "Fuzzy brows, Sakura-chan!" they heard a familiar voice shout. Sakura turned around to greet the blond until she saw who his was with. She felt Lee tense, and held his hand.

"Sasuke!"

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Let us stop here. Slightly longer then most of my chapters, slightly worse too. Oh well, keep on reviewing guys, I'll keep on writing!.

Sasuke: I got beat up!

Lee: I beat up Sasuke!

Sakura: I am so loved "sniffle"

Me: yeah, yeah, people, gimme ideas, please!!!

Buh-bye, and till next time (review please)


	11. Are you cold?

Aaaaw, you all have made me soooo happy!!! I woke up this morning, checked my mail "yawning, I might add" and lookie! 13 reviews! 13!!! I immediately felt the rush to go and write my next chapter! Thank you all so much. I'll answer you all now.

Troublesome writer: Heheh, secret? It's just like this, I make up a title (you'll find it mostly doesn't match the chapter though, hahaha) I put down my first sentence and from that point I just keep on writing, until I think, hey, here's a cruel moment to stop, so let's! Let's just say, my imagination is a very big source. Also, thanks for the idea! When I find myself in some trouble, I'll surely use it. Oh, and thank you for reviewing, even though the next chapter is already up, I highly appreciate that.

The16thday: Yeah, I liked that part too, it was fun to write as well! "grin" though I doubt Lee could really ever beat up Sasuke, I mean, did you see his sword technique? He almost slashed up Sakura! But I'm rambling, sorry. And, enjoy!

Raven's soul sister: Good idea! Perhaps I'll use it somewhere later on. Okies? Thanks.

Gaaraswifey: Evil? Hmmm, just shaken up I think

LeeLover09: Really? You do? Then, I should finish this chapter quickly! The only reason I can write so early is because I'm home with examies…but they are finished now as well. I don't think it's sad, it's cute. And, very flattering as well. Thank you

Darth Cooper: One of the best? I thought there was a lack in action, but oh well. Aaaw, you like exclamation marks that much? Yup, Sasuke surely did feel pain, a lot!

Panther eyes: Oh, if you look at it that way, I guess you're right! Well, Sasuke is just a very sore loser and yes, Lee is a sweet heart isn't he?

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you! Well, here it is.

YinYang-Animal: Aaaw, and I'm happy you do

The name Akemi is awesome: Indeed it would be! I thought so too, sadly this isn't a humor fic. Oh well…

Sambers: Yay! Snowfun! Oooh, I want that. Well, nearly everyone has a sad history you know. I just started hating him when he left Sakura on that bench!!!

**Yay, that was all of them!!! So, now I can continue my story Man, this story is starting to get intriguing. Let's see, what new things can I get in here…**

**On with it!!!**

_**Are you cold?**_

Naruto seemed to be completely clueless yet again as he took a seat near Sakura, not occupied by Lee obviously. He ordered a bowl of ramen and turned his head to the right, expecting to find Sasuke there, but the Uchiha was still standing before Lee and Sakura. "What's wrong Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "Still not over the fact that Sakura doesn't love you anymore?" All heads shot to Naruto at this. Sakura and Sasuke glared at him and Lee's look begged him to keep his mouth shut. "S-Sorry" Naruto stuttered, a bit taken aback and turned himself to his ramen, now steaming in front of his nose.

"I-I'm sorry" Sasuke suddenly said. Sakura was surprised the Uchiha even knew those words and stared at him, not knowing what to say. Lee, on the other hand knew exactly which words he wanted to throw at the Uchiha, but seeing how Gai-sensei would highly disapprove of most of them, he just uttered the word. "Leave" Sasuke could be seen gulping, but he did not leave. "I know I went wrong Sakura" he continued. "I just couldn't trust L-Lee to protect you, but now I know he can." At this point, Sakura saw Sasuke was bandaged pretty good. She wondered what he had told Naruto.

"I will never go wrong again, I swear" he said, clearly sorry for what he did, or just a really good actor. He bowed desperately and Sakura noticed his arm was bandaged as well and smirked, knowing she had been the cause of that one. Lee put his arm protectively around Sakura and gave her a look that clearly said she should decide. "I guess…" Sakura started, avoiding Lee's gaze. "We could give him one last chance." She looked back at Lee. "And if he breaks his promise, you can kill him." Naruto choked on some ramen and turned his attention back to the conversation. "I understand" Sasuke answered.

"Well then, take a seat" said Sakura pointing to the seat next to Naruto. "What are you doing?" Lee whispered in her ear. "I think he's really sorry" Sakura whispered back. "Besides, you beat him up pretty good." Lee chuckled. "Most of the wounds he has are not caused by me" he whispered. "I think that Kakashi-sensei is the cause of them" Sakura laughed at this and snuggled closer to Lee. "See? He won't go wrong again." Lee nodded, glancing at Sasuke, who was bent over a ramen bowl. He would accept him for now, but not trust him. And somehow, he knew Sakura did the exact same.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

After finishing their meal, they left Sasuke and Naruto at the ramen stand, knowing the blond was not even nearly done with his food. And as soon as they stepped out from underneath the ramen stand, Sakura felt how a little cold something hit her nose in a soft manner. She looked up at the completely white sky and noticed how snowflakes floated down towards them. Lee looked up at the sky with her as they walked. "Let us go to my home again" Lee suggested. Sakura nodded, grabbed his arm tightly and shut her eyes, letting her feet follow to wherever Lee guided them.

When they finally stopped, she opened her eyes again and saw that Lee was fishing a key out of his pockets. He opened the door and stepped out of the way, bowing in a charming way, allowing Sakura to go in first. Sakura giggled and did as the boy expected from her. After she had gotten inside, Lee followed and closed the door behind her. He shook the snow out of his wet hair and Sakura smiled at how adorable he was. "Why do you not take a seat Sakura-chan?" he offered.

Sakura sat down in one of the now familiar couches, enjoying the warmth emanating from them. Lee disappeared once again in the kitchen. It didn't take him all too long to come back with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, both decorated with whipped cream. "Here you go my beautiful cherry blossom" he said, handing her one of the mugs. "Be careful, they are fairly hot." Sakura giggled. "As are you." Had she not been holding a mug, she would've clasped her hands in front of her mouth. Lee turned the darkest shade of red he ever had and for a second, Sakura thought he was really going to explode. But he didn't. He just laughed a little and shook the sentence away, seeing how it unnerved Sakura.

Sakura coughed. "This is really good Lee" she complimented the chocolate milk, even though she didn't even drink it yet. "Thank you" Lee accepted, again oblivious to the fact it was a decoy. Lee walked to his fireplace, threw some wood into it and lit it. Soon, a wave of warmth filled the entire room. Sakura snuggled deeper into the couch, content at this feeling. When the doorbell rang, she peeked over the couch and Lee went to stand from his sitting position in front of his fireplace.

He had no idea who this could be. No one ever rang his doorbell. Never ever. He suspiciously opened the door and Sakura was surprised to see Ino and Shikamaru standing there. She leaped up herself, to join Lee in talking to them. "…and for that event, ah, there's Sakura-chan too!" Ino was saying. Sakura greeted her. "Hiya Ino, you managed to drag Shikamaru here?" She heard Shikamaru mumble something about how troublesome this was, but he didn't say much other then that.

"What **are** you doing here?" She shivered a bit from the icy wind blowing inside now, and she felt how Lee wrapped a protective arm around her. Seeing this, Ino hit Shikamaru on the head, clearly jealous of Sakura. Shikamaru just responded with a lazy ow, not really getting the subtle hint. Ino quickly regained her posture though and turned herself back to Lee and Sakura. "I'll start over" she said. "Christmas is coming up, and for that event, I have organized a party" she was clearly quite proud of herself.

"I have the invitation right here" and she gave Lee an envelope. "Seeing how Lee and you are probably going to go together, I won't give you one" Ino told Sakura. Sakura nodded and peeked inside the envelope with Lee. "Er… Ino" she started. "This party is only a couple of days from now, Christmas is a little while longer." Ino shrugged. "I don't think many people would show up if I actually did my party on Christmas, I mean, think about it!" Sakura nodded, knowing she was right.

Though, she was probably going to celebrate Christmas all alone, seeing how her parents were always gone. She sighed and continued reading the invitation. "It's fairly early isn't it?" Sakura commented. Ino nodded. "But you get dinner there too." Sakura raised a questioning eyebrow. "And how did you get the money for that?" Shikamaru was grinning at this point, and Sakura found it to be even more suspicious. "Well, that's why we ask 10 dollars per ticket" Ino said sheepishly, and she pointed at the very fine print at the bottom of the invitation.

Before Sakura could say a word, 20 dollars were handed to Ino over her shoulder. She looked up at Lee who was smiling. "It's for both Sakura and me." Lee said. "I figured as much" Ino said smiling, accepting the money, but not before hitting Shikamaru again. Why couldn't he be more like Lee? "Thank you Lee" Sakura said and she gave him a quick peck on the lips. Ino grabbed Shikamaru's hand. "Well, we'll be off now" she said and she pulled Shikamaru with her. The snow was getting much, much thicker now. Sakura wondered if she'd even be able to get home later on."

Back inside, Sakura found her hot chocolate to be less hot and she sipped it, finding it to be really good indeed. And thus she quickly drank it all up, satisfied how the liquid had no warmed her inner self as well. She then watched how Lee contently drank his own, the hot chocolate leaving a dark smear across his lips. Sakura crawled towards him and kissed it away. "I love you Lee-kun" she told him. Lee wrapped his arms around Sakura again, pleased that she had said it again.

"Well, we certainly have something to look forward to." Lee commented, pointing to the invitation, now lying on the coffee table. At this, Sakura shot upright. She had nothing to wear! Oh, the disaster of it all!!! "Lee, I've got to go now" she whispered in his ear. "Shall I go with you?" Lee asked. "No, this has to be a surprise" Sakura stated simply. Yes, she would also pick up a present for the boy.

Lee chuckled. "If that is what you wish." Sakura leaped up, thanked Lee for the hot chocolate, kissed him one more time, and jumped out into the white world she would now have to face. "Off to the Konoha shopping district!" she said to no one in particular, and walked off, while Lee watched her go, trough his window.

Soon, Sakura arrived where she was heading, and found the shopping district to be dressed up with lights, bows and colourful ribbons. Completely in awe, she tried to take another step but had not realized how slippery the road had been. And thus, she quickly landed on her behind. "Itai" she told no one in particular. "Are you alright?" a deep voice asked. A hand was offering to pull her up. "Neji and Hinata!" Sakura said, pleased to see the two. She took the offered hand and was pulled up by Neji's strength alone.

"What are you doing here?"

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

And stop. Enough for today. Sorry that this is posted a bit later, but a friend of mine came and bothered me while I was in the middle of writing this. And for those wondering, itai means, well, just… ow. Heheh.

Sakura: Why do I always fall?

Sasuke: Oh man, I actually apologized?!

Lee: "dancing" Sakura thinks I'm hot!!!

Me: …yeah… anyways, please review!!!


	12. What would you like?

There, there, the start of another chapter. Man, I had to go to the mall today, I hate that!!! But perhaps it was good inspiration for this chapter. But first, to answer my beloved reviewers…

The16thday: aaaaw, thanks, one of your favourites? I'm honoured. Well, I'll always do my best!

Panther eyes: To tell you the truth, I don't trust him either. I know! Lee is hot isn't he I so love him.

Troublesome writer: No problem, it's not much of a secret anyways. Oh, but it's just that I love sending replies to you guys! Since you all took the trouble of reviewing me you know. And once again thanks for the compliment, thanks! Oh, have fun! I'm going to the mountains too Wednesday and I won't be back till Monday so I won't be able to update… oh well…

LeeLover09: haha, I'm glad I can be of assistance to you! Enjoy

YinYang-animal: aw, thanks!

Darth Cooper: Yay! I got myself a cute sticker!!! "watches Sasuke dancing around, trying to gasp for breath because of the sticker on his face" wow…

Animelover5.6: I hope not too! I wonder what would be the limit in chapters, haha. I know, I just got in the mood to write a bit about Christmas. I love this time of the year.

Jaci: Aaaw, happy? Really? Thank you so much, I'm glad my story could be worth something to you.

**And that's all of them! This story is so not coming to a close yet! I wonder when it will. Hahaha, not soon, that's for sure. So, I hope you can all just keep on enjoying. Sorry for the later update, okies?**

**On with it!**

_**What would you like?**_

Sakura looked at Hinata who was hiding behind her cousin. The girl hadn't changed much on the inside but on the outside she had become extremely beautiful, her hair was longer now, she herself had grown in "cough" certain areas and still she appeared extremely shy. Sakura was happy that Neji didn't treat her like dirt anymore though. Neji took the girl's hand and pulled her out from behind him. "It's only Sakura, Hinata-chan" he said reassuringly. Hinata just blushed.

"I-I know Neji-kun" she answered. She really was never at ease it would seem. "We are going shopping for our Christmas presents" Neji said. "Namely a certain blond for her." Neji continued, glancing playfully at Hinata. "If you know what I mean" Hinata blushed in seven different shades of red and Sakura feared she was going to faint again. She didn't though. "And what are you doing here?" Neji asked her. "Shopping for Lee?" Now Sakura blushed.

"In a way" she answered. Neji raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, you see…" Sakura said, shifting her feet. "I want to buy a present for him, but I also want to shop for a dress to wear at Ino's party. I want to look my best for Lee" Neji smiled. "I'm sure we can help, would you like us to join you?" Sakura nodded. At least she wouldn't be alone now. "So…" Sakura said as they started walking again. "Anyone in particular you are shopping for, Neji?" Sakura teased.

Neji, being the cool guy he was, did not blush. But Sakura saw he was feeling pretty nervous right now. "For er… Tenten" Neji answered. Sakura gasped in delight and Hinata giggled at her cousin's uneasiness. Neji, having seen this, childishly poked Hinata who stopped giggling and just blushed. "Works every time" Neji said triumphantly. "So, any idea as for what to get Lee?" Neji asked. "Er… no" Sakura admitted. "Well… I for one know he loves animals." Sakura stared at Neji who seemed completely honest.

"Are you toying with me?" she asked uncertain. Neji shook his head. "He does love animals actually." Sakura smiled. "Thanks Neji." She said. "Now er…" Neji tried. "Could you help me with Tenten, I mean, you are a girl too and all…" Sakura smiled. She saw a completely different side of Neji she had never dreamt he even had. "You can never go wrong with perfume" she helped. "Every girl likes perfume, oh, and flowers, many pretty flowers." Neji bowed. "Domo arigatou gozaimas Sakura-san" he said.

Sakura waved her hand as if to try and wave the politeness away. And they continued on walking. "S-Saku-ra-chan?" a nervous voice sounded. "I-I was w-wondering i-if… well… t-that is…" "Naruto likes ramen, lots and lots of ramen." Hinata smiled. "T-thank you" Sakura nodded. "No problem girl" Soon, they had stopped at a perfume shop, and Sakura picked out the one she thought would fit Tenten best. "Floral fighter" the perfume was named, and although pricy, Neji seemed to love the scent himself. He immediately bought it and had it wrapped up ever so nicely.

Next, Hinata entered a shop in which she bought the most beautiful ramen bowl ever witnessed. Well, that I what she thought at least. She also bought lots of instant ramen, yet with this, she also bought some fruits, seeing Naruto would otherwise get ill for sure. After she paid and had her presents wrapped (a strange look thrown at her by the other customers) they went to the first clothing shop they could find.

They had immediately hit the jackpot. And Sakura tried out so many dresses! A cocktail dress with a nice red pattern, a blue dress with folds at the very end. Even a pretty black one that reflected all light, and made her look all shiny. And finally she decided on one. (A/N: evil me will not yet tell you what she chose) "You will look so beautiful Sakura!" Hinata yelled excitedly, not even stuttering this time.

Sakura grinned, she was equally excited. She couldn't wait to show Lee the dress. More then anything, she wanted to see his facial expression, especially if even Neji had been staring at her in awe just a few minutes ago. She grinned and patted the bag she was holding, containing the dress. Now, what to buy for Lee. She didn't have to walk around for a long time since she finally saw what she was looking for. She immediately went into the store and bought what she wanted (A/N: Still not saying)

After this, she said goodbye to Neji and Hinata, and decided to take off again. She was happy with what she had bought and she immediately went home to put her stuff on her room. She would give Lee his present when he would come to pick her up, she was so sure he would be ever so happy! She hid everything to her best ability (and seeing how she was a ninja, this was pretty good) and decided to head back to Lee. Her feet were really hurting from walking around so much, but she was happy.

Suddenly, two strong arms hugged Sakura tightly, and two cold lips were planted against her own. Sakura turned around and giggled. "Well hello Lee-kun, sneaking up on me?" she embraced him back on planted her own lips on his cold, yet still sweet ones. "I was just heading towards your house." Lee smiled. "I saw that Sakura-chan, I just thought I could accompany you." Sakura nodded. "So…" Lee said, scratching his nose and looking at nothing in particular. "Did you get what you were looking for?" Sakura giggled. "Yes, I sure did." Now, Ino's party was good to begin, the day after tomorrow.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

There, sorry it's so late. Mom dragged me to the mall and then I had to go pick up my rapport card (which is splendid)

Lee: I barely got in here

Neji: I bought perfume! Argh!

Hinata: I-I-I….

Sakura: well, seems like I got something pretty to wear, né?

Me: that was that, please do review and remember to make a wish on a snowflake


	13. Could you tell me when?

I actually wrote this chapter the same day as I did the last one. I'm gone all day so now I can update right before I leave. Yay me, never be late again! Okay, the reviews I'm supposed to answer come right here…

Animelover5.6: hello you! Aaw, you liked it? Good, I've had a bit of difficulties writing that. Man, I even started writing about an apple tree before realizing it's supposed to be winter and there are no more apples! An entire paragraph gone! Haha. Yeah, I really like Neji and Hinata, but I won't write them down as a couple.

The name Akemi is awesome: Hey, no problem, I'm happy you're reviewing now. And about what she's going to wear, heheh "evil grin" wouldn't you like to know.

Darth Cooper: Yes, very clever of you to walk in a wall. And I will have you know your guess is wrong. Teehee, sorry! Yes, I love suspense, don't I? Don't worry, you won't die, I'm sure.

Troublesome writer: Aaaw, but I wanna make a fairly long reply. Thank you very much for the review! It pleased me to no end. Yeah, I won't be able to update for a while, but that period of time starts Wednesday, or perhaps Thursday. With late, I meant… well… I am Dutch, so the time span is different with America. So usually I update when it's morning here but today it was already 6.00 p.m! So yeah That's what I meant. The bright side? It's good for your condition! And perhaps there isn't even enough snow! Yayness. I hate travelling also, but a friend is coming along and that spices things up bit. Well, he's maybe coming but it's pretty sure. Yeah, I like Neji and Hinata too. Did you see their 16 and 15 year old selves? They are so cute! I tried describing them as they really are. Well, this reply is too long already, so yeah. "grin" enjoy this chapter, it's slightly different from the rest. Oh, and yes, I like to keep you guys hanging so hah!

Azuka knight: aaw, thank you for the review. It's always appreciated. Well, then make a wish on a star Lee is my favourite too and I want him to be happy so I match him up with Sakura. I like how he is when he's with her. And she's not that bad. Thanks again!!!

The16thday: Well sure, but the story is still Lee/saku centred you know? But I like those pairings too so something should happen.

**Okay, those were the reviews. Now, I just have to remember I'm writing about the winter and thus, some things are not possible! "knocks self on the head" **

**On with it!!!**

_**Could you tell me when?**_

Back at Lee's house, Sakura and Lee noticed how it was getting dark. Sakura realized how long she must've been gone. She giggled to herself, receiving a weird, questioning look from Lee. She remembered how many dresses she had tried out before picking_ the_ one. "What is with that mischievous smile plastered all over your face Sakura-chan?" Lee asked her. She just put her finger on his lips, leaned in and whispered in his ear "You'll see" Lee felt shivers run down his spine, not the bad kind of shivers, the good kind.

Lee smiled, knowing he could trust his angel. "Alright then" Lee said, taking her hand that held its finger on his lips. "I trust you." He kissed her hand softly and gently and then stepped away from her smiling, his eyes filled with love, warming Sakura's heart. Lee opened the window and let the wind blow his hair out of his face. Sakura held her hand to her chest, realizing just how lucky she was. She walked over to Lee, who was enjoying the wind on his once again flustered cheeks - The boy was still so shy when it came to Sakura – and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back.

"I don't deserve you Lee-kun" she whispered. She held the boy so tight, he couldn't even move and turn around to face her. "What are you saying Sakura-chan?" he loosened her grip with his own hands and finally turned around to face the pink haired girl he so loved. "If you do not deserve me, Sakura-chan, no one does." He said lovingly. "For no one is as good, kind, sweet, skilled and beautiful as you are." Sakura sighed in contentment. She could never fight Lee's beautiful words. He was right. No one on the entire planet deserved him, but that would result in him ending up alone, and that, she didn't want.

"I love you so very much Lee-kun, so very much it hurts" Lee's eyes turned big at that. "You are hurt, Sakura-chan?" Sakura once again laughed at his innocence. "You're so silly Lee" she whispered before leaning out of the window next to him. Snow was still falling and the blanket of white once again looked undisturbed. The moon was high and full and there were no clouds visible to block the stars coming out one by one. The pine trees were swaying in the gentle, cold wind, and occasionally, a shooting star would make its entrance. "It's beautiful" Sakura sighed. Lee turned his head to look at her. "Indeed, beautiful."

Sakura put her head on her arms as she continued gazing out of the window. She was completely at peace, the world couldn't get any better then now. Lee stroked her hair gently and smiled while looking down upon him. The next words about to escape his lips, he'd rather not say, but it was his duty to care for this angel, and he would not neglect this sacred task. "It is getting really dark, Sakura-chan" he said. "Do you not think your parents would get worried if you stayed away much longer?" Sakura looked away from the outside and into his eyes. Their glow immediately cured the frost that had invaded because of the soft wind.

"My parents aren't home Lee-kun." She answered simply. "They are out on a mission and won't return for quite a while." Lee closed the window, seeing how the cold got a bit too much to bare. "If you would prefer to rest here, Sakura-chan, I would not force you to return." Sakura smiled. "I'd like that" she said. "I'd like that a lot." Lee grinned. "Great!" he yelled out in his normal perkiness. "This is going to be so much fun. A sleepover is a very youthful thing to do, did you know this Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled. It had been a while since he had gotten into one of these weird moods.

"Calm down, Lee" she said, not sure how to stop these moods. Lee hugged Sakura tight. "Surely, you do not expect of me to remain calm after you, my angel, have decided to remain by my side where you had plenty of other choices?" Sakura laughed. She really could get used to these adorable outbursts. "Lee-kun, you are so cute." She stroked his cheek, slowly closed her eyes, and leaned in to kiss him. His lips quickly met hers and once again, their sweet flavour filled her body with warmth. "Are you calm now?" she asked. She could tell, just by looking at Lee, he wasn't. He was really trying to be though.

"Lee! You jerk!!!"

Both Sakura and Lee looked up at the door that had grunted heavily influenced by a heavy pound that came from a certain woman. "Wow" Sakura uttered. "Please, do not break down my door!" Lee shouted frantically, doing his best to reach his door in time. "I will open up in a second." Still, another loud pound met the door, but thankfully for Lee, his door still didn't break down. He did open the door, only to find his only female team-mate standing there, red with anger. She stomped inside, grabbing Lee by the collar and thoroughly shaking him. The only thing Sakura managed to think at that moment was: "That ought to calm him down."

"What have you told Neji?" she screamed at him. Sakura thought it would be best to help her boyfriend out now. "Er…Tenten, could you please not kill Lee?" Tenten looked up at Sakura, her eyes changed to surprise. "Oh, Sakura-chan! I didn't know you were here too." She released Lee who slumped down onto the ground. "What has he done?" Sakura asked, trying to remain serious. Tenten growled. "He told Neji the exact words: "You must court Tenten now, for love is a beautiful thing, and she loves you." Sakura blinked. "How do you know that?" Tenten let out a furious yell. "I was standing right next to Neji damn it!!!"

Sakura laughed. "Why would he do that?!" she almost yelled in laughter. "He said he thought Neji was moving too slow." Tenten growled. "I'll never be able to face him again!" Sakura smiled sweetly at the girl who was clearly panicking. "When did this occur?" she asked. "Yesterday" Tenten sobbed. Sakura smiled widely now, remembering her day out with Neji and Hinata. "Tenten, you have to listen to me." She said and forced the girl to look into her eyes. "I know Neji has taken Lee's words to heart, and he will tell you he loves you, somehow. Now, do not ask me how I know this, just accept the fact that I do!"

"Yes, just trust in his youthfulness!" a voice behind them cried out. A thumb was nearly poked into Tenten's eye and a weird shine reflected off of Lee's teeth. Tenten yelled out a battle cry in rage and knocked the poor boy harshly on the head. "I have so not forgiven you yet Lee" she spat at him. Sakura knew she didn't mean this though. Secretly, the girl was grateful. She glanced one last time at Sakura, who suddenly had to repress the wish to do the nice guy pose (mentally slapping herself for the suddenly weird desire) and then turned to the boy now cutely sulking on the ground.

"I'll see ya later Lee" Tenten said, and opened the cracked door, only to disappear in a white world. Sakura sighed. "That was extremely weird." She said. "Why do you have to meddle in other people's affairs?" Lee looked up at her, love still filling his eyes, and he glanced a big, white smile at her. "Because I want to make those other people happy!" he stated. Sakura felt so taken aback by that answer. How could anyone be so good? How could anyone actually be as kind as Lee was? Was she really dreaming all of this?

Lee got up from the ground and kissed Sakura on the forehead. "It seems I still have to tell you where to sleep" he said, smiling still. He took her hand so softly, Sakura wasn't sure if he actually held it and walked her into a green bedroom, a bed standing in the middle of the chamber, complete with green sheets. The room was filled with lots of plants and she even saw a few sakura blossoms float in a bowl filled with water. How Lee had been able to preserve this, she didn't understand. Sakura blossoms were usually so very frail.

"So, what do you think, my angel?" Lee asked. "Do you not find the colour ever so youthful?" Sakura decided to just plainly nod. "Sure Lee, it is." Lee smiled. "I am glad you think so." He walked over to the closet, which was not green, and opened the mirrored doors to reveal actual clothes! Sure, there were tons of green jumpsuits but there were some normal shirts, trousers not taken over by the colour green and she even saw a glance of a suit. Lee had fished out the same pyjamas Sakura had worn last time she had paid him a visit. He handed them over and smiled again.

"I will leave you to change now." Lee said and left the room like the real gentleman he just had to be. Truth be told, Sakura wouldn't have minded had he stayed, or even asked to do so. But she herself would never have stayed with him when he was changing either so she wasn't one to talk. She sighed and put on the pyjamas that already felt so familiar. She let herself fall down onto the bed that was soft and very plushy, the soft green actually seemed to be a pretty cool colour after all and the serenity it emanated almost made Sakura fall asleep. That is, until her right hand, which she had tried to tuck away underneath the pillow met something hard.

She grabbed whatever it was and pulled out a little notebook from underneath the pillow. It was worn and tattered yet seemed to be something very valuable. Sakura didn't know why it felt that way, but it did. She opened it to find on the very first page a poem. She glanced at the door, as if she was doing something wrong, and when she thought the coast was clear, she decided to read it. It didn't have a title.

Floating

In darkness, and nothing more

Knowing

I only have one chance

One chance to light

Kiss me

And colour my lips

Sing

And clear my hearing

Smile

And heal my vision

Embrace

So I can move again

So I hope

To be yet again.

Wow. Lee seemed to be a real poet. Sakura was just about to read on to the next one when someone knocked on the door. She quickly, yet carefully shoved away the notebook to its secret place and tried to act casual. "Come in." she said. Lee entered, finding Sakura sprawled out all over the bed already. "Do you want to go to sleep already?" he asked, blushing like mad. "Oh no, I don't." Sakura said and leaped off of the bed.

"I was just…er… trying out the bed!" she said. It wasn't a lie, that was what she had been doing, until she stumbled onto something else, but of course, she wouldn't reveal that fact. "Right" Lee simply said. "Of course!" He seemed to believe her. The poor boy was still very naïve. Sakura lifted up his arm and crawled underneath it, to have him embrace her. Lee chuckled. "You are very cute, do you know that?" Sakura looked up at him, surprise taking over her other expressions. Was he serious? Was **_he_** telling **_her_** she was cute? Now that was irony. For the rest of the evening, they have been sitting in front of the fireplace, snuggled up into each others arms, watching the flames dance for them.

At about midnight, they decided to go to sleep. Lee flatly refused to go sleep in Sakura's bed with her because he wanted her to get a goodnights rest for now. And he knew he moved around a lot in his bed, something to with muscle memory or something. So he just tucked the girl in, took away the something underneath he pillow, kissed her on her forehead, on her nose and on her lips, stroking her cheeks one last time and then kissing her eyes closed. "Have a good night my sweet angel." He whispered. "You deserve it." And then, he disappeared as silent as a shadow out of the room, letting the veil of dreams take over his beloved Sakura. The veil did not turn dark this night.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Okay, I will end the chapter right here. It's longer then my others so enjoy. And do not forget to review.

Lee: Teehee, am I cute or what?

Sakura "kisses Lee" yes you are

Tenten: Look at me, beating up Lee like I used to do.

Me: Yeah, I liked that part too Tenten. Come on guys, this deserves a review right? Let's make this chapter have most reviews! After all, 13 is a lucky number.


	14. See you tonight?

And here we are yet again. Ready for another chapter everyone? And Christmas is closing in on us rapidly and I love it! Oh hail my faithful reviewers though I seem to be missing someone. Sambers, you alright there? The ones that did review me get their answers now!

Panther eyes: Isn't his weirdness why we love him? Yeah, I like Neji and Tenten too, but of cours Lee had to be in there for something!

Darth Cooper: Aaaw, how sweet. Gee, Lee manipulated you there you know? Haha, but he can I'm sure.

YinYang-Animal: wonderful! I'm glad you do

Ouran twins rock: Aaaw, merry Christmas to you too! Well, the update is here

The16thday: Yeah, I felt like some outbursts needed to be in. More fluff? I'm trying to cut down because otherwise it would be so… artificial, you know?

Troublesome writer: Yup, I hate travelling, only to Japan I wish to go freely. Heheh. Yeah, I know! Sakura taking over Lee's habits! Hahaha. You haven't? Well, easy, just type in a random full name (Rock Lee) in Google, then click the link that connects you to wikipedia. At the bottom of the page, you can see the older version of whom you clicked and the names you can still choose to get information and pictures on, just try it! Aaw, thanks, I love your long reviews. Well, have fun anyways.

Animelover5.6: Yup, it is odd! Very, very strange, so I like them the way I put them down now. Yay

That was that. Now on to the next chapter. I think I'll put a timeskip in here seeing how Christmas is coming closer way too fast! Haha. Well enjoy!

On with it!!

**_See you tonight?_**

Sakura woke up to the light shining trough the window on her right. She stretched and yawned as elegantly as she could manage, then decided to get out of bed. She glanced outside and saw the packet of snow had grown even higher, but no new snow was falling from the sky now. Seeing how the sun was still rising, and there was a tiny bit of darkness left in the top of the sky, she judged it was earlier then normal. She tiptoed trough the room and opened the door, expecting Lee to still be fast asleep.

And she was right. As soon as she reached the living room, she saw Lee sprawled out all over the couch. A pang of guilt shot trough her for a second, but was quickly replaced with admiration for the boy she so loved. The sheets he had covered himself with were laying on the ground mostly, but were still covering his belly and feet. His right arm rested underneath his head and his left arm was slumped onto the ground. His mouth was opened just a bit, and his chest slowly raised and went down again, signalling his shallow breathing. The serenity covering the boy made him so angelic and he even seemed to radiate heat. She reached out to touch his cheek slowly and found it to be a normal temperature. Was it her own heart giving off that heat then?

Lee's nose twitched a bit, as did his eyes before he turned over, his hair swaying in the movement. He really was more beautiful then you would think at first. Oh, she didn't want to wake him. Instead she decided she would relocate his kitchen and make the boy a breakfast. Pancakes sounded good. She had quickly found it indeed. She had never entered it before but she thought it was cute and cosy, not like most kitchens. Sakura was surprised that all the pots and pans were as neatly stacked as they were. When she opened with the cabinets, the plates, glasses and cups too were stacked away as they would be in a palace.

In the drawers, they knifes, forks, spoons and such were ordered perfectly and Sakura was starting to get scared of dirtying this kitchen. But she wanted to surprise Lee, repay him for everything he had done for her, and this was a pretty good start, wasn't it? She pulled out a pan, searched around for the ingredients and quickly found what she needed. Pancakes had vinegar in them, didn't they?

When she turned on the fire, she accidentally burned herself and cooled her hand down with water. "This is not going well" she mumbled. She put a huge chunk of butter in the pan and let it melt before starting to make the pancakes. She caught them all on a plate, put all of the dirty dishes in the sink, poured in a glass of milk and went back to the living room. She put down the plate with pancakes, and another with much fewer for herself, two knifes and forks, and the glass of milk for Lee on the table.

She poked Lee in his ribs which actually worked. Lee jumped up, laughing, clutching his side, keeping Sakura's hands away from him. "Sakura-chan, what are you doing?" he asked smiling, wiping his tired eyes. "I made you breakfast and didn't want it to get cold." Sakura replied. Lee looked at the plate she had set on the table and his eyes went big. "They look delicious Sakura-chan!" he yelled, most certainly happy Sakura would do this for him. He grabbed a knife and fork and took a bite. "This tastes great!" he exclaimed and continued eating.

Sakura happily set herself in front of her own plate and started eating as well… that is, she put a chunk in her mouth and immediately spat it out again. "This tastes awful!" she cried out. She stopped Lee, who had brought his fork to his mouth again. "Why are you eating this, you dummy? It tastes bad!" Lee chuckled. "Nothing you make could possibly taste bad." Sakura growled and took away his plate. "You might get food poisoning." She argued. "Man, I can't even make pancakes." Lee kissed the girl sweetly. "It is the thought that counts Sakura-chan, so let me return the favour."

He took the plates from her and entered his kitchen. Before entering, he gave her one last reassuring trademark smiles of his and disappeared. "Yuck, that was bad" Sakura said to herself. Lee should've said something. She sighed. He was too sweet, he would get himself killed eating her food, if it meant not hurting her. She's never pull a stunt like that again. Perhaps she had put in too much sugar… what else could it have been?

Several minutes later, Lee re-entered the living room with two plates of pancakes, equally divided. He set one plate in front of Sakura and patted her on the head. Sakura took a careful bite, hoping Lee hadn't taken revenge but she found it tasted heavenly. Now this was how pancakes should taste. Lee again had proven his worth. What a guy!

The rest of the day went by calmly. And as evening closed in on them, Sakura grew more anxious. Tomorrow would be Ino's party. Tomorrow, she could wear her dress, give Lee her present and experience what could be the most romantic evening of her entire life. The party would start at 3.00 p.m. which was way too early in Sakura's opinion. She would have to get up early to get herself ready. "Lee? I will be sleeping at home today alright?" Sakura said. "If that is what you wish my flower, that is alright with me." Sakura shifted a bit closer towards Lee, their faces only a few inches away from each other.

The love in his eyes, that seemed so eternal, once again threw her off, but she had to leave now. "Pick me up at 2.30, al right?" She asked sweetly. "I will Sakura-chan. I cannot wait until tomorrow." Sakura smiled. "Neither can I." Oh, how Sakura hoped he wouldn't show up in his green jumpsuit, but even if he did, she would love spending the evening with him. She gave him one last kiss, and before she left, Lee tied a ribbon in the length of her hair. "So I can be with you this night" he told her. Sakura blushed. "Thank you Lee-kun" she said smiling ever so brightly.

She then opened the door and walked out into the still white world. "See ya tomorrow!" she yelled. "Yes, until tomorrow!" he answered beaming. Tomorrow would be the best evening ever! Sakura trudged home trough the snow, not caring if her clothes got wet. She was so excited, she wasn't sure if she could sleep tonight! She then patted the ribbon Lee had tied for her. It was white and a bit shiny. How he had gotten it, she was not sure, but she loved it already. She sighed as she remembered his words. Perhaps, sleeping in wouldn't be such a problem after all.

Darkness was already covering Konoha and she slipped inside her house. It was still empty, and she knew her parents were still out, but of course, she had expected nothing more. She went to her room and took out her dress, hanging it on her chair. It looked wonderful still. She thought for a minute to call Ino, to help her, but she would have to host the party, also for hose coming early. So, she decided to call someone else.

"Hello?" sounded the voice on the other line. "Tenten? It's Sakura!" Sakura said excitedly. "Hi Sakura, what's up?" Sakura was playing a bit with the phone cord. "Nothing much. Say, I was wondering if we could get ready for Ino's party tomorrow, together. You are going, aren't you?" Tenten giggled and Sakura heard another, deeper voice there, with her. "Tenten, who else is there?" Sakura asked a bit curious. Though she already had a feeling. "Neji is here." Tenten answered. "Wait a second Sakura."

Sakura heard a bit of stumbling and talking. Neji hadn't said much, but rather growled. Tenten seemed to understand him though. "Sakura?" she asked. "Well, I asked Neji to pick me up at your house tomorrow, so it's okay. Of course I'm going girl!" More excited giggles invaded Sakura's ear. "I'll stop by at 10.00 a.m. alright?" Sakura smiled. "Alright, see you tomorrow!" "Bye!" And the phone call was over. She smiled and crawled into her bed. For some reason, she was feeling exhausted. Perhaps she shouldn't have gotten up so early today. Oh well, the night would be over quicker now. And it indeed didn't take long for her to fall asleep, the red letters of her alarm clock the last thing she saw before closing her eyes.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

The next morning, the buzzing sound of the alarm clock next to her made her sit up right. She stretched her arms, gently tapped the clock, turning it off, and got out of her bed. She felt well rested and was happy to begin the day. She put on some casual clothing and stroked her dress one last time before heading downstairs. It wouldn't take much longer for Tenten to arrive. So, she ate her breakfast, and drank her milk, sitting by her table, waiting. It didn't take long for her to hear a ringing sound, and she jumped up to go and open the door.

"Tenten, hi!" she said happily. Tenten was loaded with things and Sakura quickly let her in. "So, where's your room?" Tenten asked, beaming. Sakura was glad Tenten wasn't one of those people grumpy in the morning. She actually never seemed really grumpy. "It's upstairs." Sakura said. She took some stuff Tenten was juggling with and led her to her room. They threw the stuff on Sakura's bed, and sat next to it. "You know, Neji actually asked me for the party!" Tenten started a conversation. Sakura grinned. She figured as much. "You do forgive Lee now, don't you?"

Tenten nodded. "Of course I do. He's such a cute little matchmaker. So, what are you going to wear tonight to please the guy?" she asked. Sakura pointed to the dress on her chair and Tenten gasped, not sure how she could've missed it before. She carefully picked it up and held it in front of her. "It's beautiful, however did you find it?" (A/N: still not telling what it looks like) "With the help of Neji and Hinata" answered Sakura. "Well, mostly Hinata, Neji knows nothing of fashion." Tenten giggled. "Ain't that the truth.?"

"So, what about jewellery?" Sakura shrugged. "I don't have that much" she confessed. Tenten smiled brightly. "That's why I brought all this stuff!" she said over excitedly. She took out some boxes and opened them to reveal the finest jewellery in so many colours and sizes. After much rummaging and searching, Sakura picked out some silver, diamond earrings, and Tenten picked some ruby earrings for herself. Sakura had also found the cutest white bracelet. It shone like glass and fit her perfectly. Tenten didn't pick a bracelet since she's be wearing long gloves.

This took in a lot of time, and soon, the two decided that perhaps, they should have lunch, especially since Tenten hadn't eaten yet. After they had eaten, and talked about their boys, they continued. "How about we shower now?" Sakura nodded. She motioned for Tenten to go first and she gladly accepted. Her shower took in half an hour, and Sakura was starting to fear time was moving way too slow for them, so when Tenten was finished, Sakura rushed into the bathroom as fast as she could. Her shower took about 15 minutes. When she returned, a towel wrapped around her waist, she had found Tenten already half finished.

A towel was wrapped around her hair and she was already wearing her dress. It was beautiful. It had a deep, red colour, accentuated with blue flowers. On the right side of her dress, a split reached up to a few inches above her knees. She was wearing long, red, ladylike gloves. Her dress wore no sleeves and it wore a rather deep V-neck. Tenten looked simply beautiful in it. She was trying to plant the ruby earring in her ears but found it a little bit difficult.

"Here, let me help you." Sakura offered, and put in the earrings for her. They blow-dried Tenten's surprisingly long her and let it hang loose. Her make-up could wait. She helped Sakura in her dress and stared in awe at her beauty. Sakura made her snap out of it though, seeing how little time they had left. They blow-dried Sakura's hair too and put it up, the white ribbon Lee had given her sparkling in her hair. The diamond earrings were inserted without a problem and the bracelet shone brightly around her wrist. All that was left was the make-up. They didn't overdo it though. Lipstick and rouge ought to do the trick.

They watched themselves happily in the mirror when finally, after a long day of hard work, the doorbell rang.

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And stop. It has gotten too long already!

Tenten: we are so pretty!

Sakura: yuppers! Though I do wonder what my dress looks like.

Lee: And now I arrive again.

Neji: Hmph

Me: want to find out what Sakura's dress looks like? Want to know how the party is going to be? Want to know Lee and Neji's reactions? Then review and and out next time!!!


	15. Care to dance?

And here we go again! I'd better hurry this chapter because I have to go to a party later on (one with the family) yay presents!!! So here goes. First, my reviewers.

Gothic Saku-chan: don't I always? "grin" here it is

Animelover5.6: Of course Lee is the cutest! Who could ever doubt that? Well, here's the update, once again.

Darth Cooper: Yes, I have noticed that too! I don't know why, but it seems so natural. Since Lee is a gentlemen of course he's able to cook (besides he lives alone you know, with his parents being murdered and all) And what fun would it be if Sakura was able to cook as well? Then Lee wouldn't be able to cook for her, and that is so cute! Hey, no problem, I hate waiting for an update as much as anyone. So, I try to update every day, but there'll be times when that proves to be impossible.

Panther eyes: aaw, don't worry, you'll find out this chapter (I've made numerous sketches to create the right dress…If I'm able to scan it, I'll show you guys)

Invaderweb: I don't know when you'll see this reply since you reviewed chapter 8 but Lee is not insensitive, just oblivious, you know? He couldn't know he broke it you know, and he was pretty upset when he did find out.

**And those were the reviews. Is everyone out on vacation or something. I get fewer and fewer reviews but I'll update for those who did review. Thanks guys!!!**

**On with it!!!**

_**Care to dance?**_

Sakura and Tenten carefully went down the stairs. As enthusiastic as they were, they didn't want to wreck their dresses. Even with the door closed, Sakura caught Lee saying something to Neji about youthfulness and she thought it would be best to open the door and ease the poor boy's suffering. She twisted the doorknob and opened the door. And there they were. Lee and Neji, now with their mouths agape, clearly not able to utter a single word. Sakura glanced at Tenten who was smiling brightly. She was enjoying this as much as Sakura was.

"So, how do we look?" Sakura asked. The stares of the two boys now began to become unnerving. "Sakura-chan! You look more beautiful then the art of the greatest painter. You are more beautiful then the most wonderful song and you shine brighter then the stars combined!" This was Lee's humble description of his radiant angel. Truth be told she looked shockingly beautiful indeed.

She wore a dress of the most refined white you ever had seen. It had no sleeves and a V-neck with an amethyst pearl decorating the lowest point. A few inches above her hips, a part of the dress stopped in huge, waving folds, a second white layer came from underneath to continue the dress. At her knees, the dress stopped in the front side, but on the sides and the backside, it went down entirely to the ground. On the back of the dress, there was a very light blue ribbon attached to the dress. The long ends elegantly waved behind Sakura. She also had another, even lighter blue, and slightly longer ribbon loosely hanging from her arms, the middle attached to her waistline. She wore elegant, long white boots with laces, diamond earrings to compliment the dress, a bracelet that seemed to be made of glass and to Lee's astonishment the white ribbon he had given her the day before. She looked perfect!

"Sakura-chan, you are an angel" Lee added and offered the girl his arm. Sakura gently took it with her right arm. Neji had found Sakura to look wonderful too. Even though he had seen the dress before, it looked even better when Sakura was all finished. But of course, he couldn't keep his eyes off of his beloved Tenten. She looked more then beautiful as well. He did the same as Lee had done and offered the girl his arm. "You look good." He said. Tenten smiled. "Neji!" Lee said loudly. "How can you say that? Just a lousy, 'you look good?'" Neji hmphed and started walking, taking Tenten with him.

"Quite frankly, it's a big achievement for Neji to have said even that" Sakura whispered. "I think Tenten is really pleased." Lee smiled at her. "Tenten looks great but she is no match for your radiance my beautiful flower." Sakura giggled. "I get it, you like it" she said. "Of course, the dress only compliments your real beauty, my Sakura" he said. "That's enough" Sakura said. "You're getting me embarrassed." Lee laughed loudly. Sakura decided to take this opportunity to scan her escort thoroughly.

He looked rather dashing himself. He had decided not to wear the green jumpsuit and actually wore a suit. A black one that suited her white dress wonderfully. He wore black, silk gloves and very shiny shoes. "You look very handsome yourself Lee" Sakura said. Lee grinned his trademark grin. "Anything for my flower." Sakura smiled and put her head on Lee's shoulder. She looked at Neji who was listening to Tenten. He was a little less fancy then Lee, but still looked good. He wore black trousers and a red shirt, a black vest covering it. His hair was almost as long as Tenten's, what was a funny sight.

Soon, they arrived at Ino's, straightened their outfits and rang the doorbell. Ino opened and gasped when she saw the foursome. "How can I let you girls in?" she asked. "You look more beautiful then I do!" A snorting Shikamaru was heard in the background. Sakura smiled. Ino was wearing a simply red cocktail dress, but she looked really nice herself. "You look nice too Ino" Sakura said. "Please let us in." Ino smiled and stepped aside. The four of them quickly got inside, seeing how cold it was outside. The noise coming from inside stopped for a few seconds before going back to what it had been.

Naruto came towards them, dragging a very red Hinata with him. "You guys look wonderful!" he said, mainly looking at Sakura. "so, you got rid of the green jumpsuit eh fuzzy brows?" Lee smiled. "I do not wear it every day you know." He said. Naruto smiled brightly. "Take care of her." He said, pointing at Sakura. "She looks too pretty for her own good." Lee laughed. "I will, trust me." With that, Naruto went away again. Neji and Tenten had disappeared in the crowd as well.

"Sakura, I have got something for you." Lee said to his beloved. "You do?" Sakura asked. Lee took a little box out of his pocket and presented it to his flower. "Please accept this humble present" he asked sweetly. Sakura tried to get off the bow, wrapped around the box with trembling hands but didn't succeed. "Here, take this." Ino presented her with a knife. Sakura gladly accepted it and cut the ribbon. She glanced at Lee who seemed to be as nervous as she was. She opened the box and found a beautiful necklace inside. A silver one, with in the middle, a small angel with spread wings. The trinket looked like it had cost a fortune.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaw" sounded a lot of voices surrounding the two. Sakura looked up to find the biggest part of the room staring at them. Sakura felt her cheeks become red. "Thank you so much Lee, it's beautiful" she said. "A small angel to tell the world what you really are" Lee explained. He tied it around her neck for her. Sakura flung herself around his neck and kissed him. "Thank you so much Lee, You're so good for me!" Lee smiled. "That is because you deserve it."

A few girls were glaring at their boyfriends, all jealous of Sakura. Sakura herself was getting used to this. She couldn't blame them. There was no second Rock Lee on the planet. And she was proud of having the one and only Lee alive. The music playing on the background suddenly produced a slow, and Lee gently pulled Sakura on the dance floor. He put his left hand on her waist and grabbed her left hand with his right. He pulled her close to her and started leading the dance. Sakura was surprised to find Lee was a very good dancer. "I didn't know you could dance" she complimented.

"Gai-sensei taught me" Lee said. Sakura tried to block out the thought of Lee dancing with Gai, and focused on the current dance. It was over too soon for her liking. Lee finished it with a long kiss. It didn't take long for the next slow to start though, but sadly enough, someone tapped Lee on the shoulder. "Can I steal your girlfriend this dance?" he asked. Lee blinked and stepped away. "Of course Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi held out his hand, and Sakura took it, glancing one last time at Lee. She felt like her sensei was going to preach to her.

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And stop. This is all I can manage today. Please review people. Please? We still have to review Sakura's present after all.


	16. Could you come inside?

Haha, today is Christmas, which means I am so behind on my story! So, I'll try and reach Christmas day, alright? I'll do my best. But first, my reviewers

Gothic Saku-chan: If there is any preaching of course.

Saruke101: "grin" thanks

Animelover5.6: Well, of course he did! Here's the update.

Darth Cooper: It is? Well, it's nice to hear that, I do my best!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Aaw, don't feel terrible. At least you're reviewing now, right? And it's a long one too! Yeah, I wonder about Kakashi too. Yes, I want that necklace too!!!

YinYang-animal: Isn't it?

Ouran twins rock: Ah, I see! I didn't notice that. You have a very merry Christmas too!!!

**That was all of them. Merry Christmas!!! I guess this chapter is a little later, but no fret, it still gets posted!**

**On with it!**

_**Could you come inside?**_

Kakashi too put his hand on Sakura's waist and grabbed hold of her left hand, but he kept his distance. Sakura was the first to speak. "What's the matter Kakashi-sensei?" she asked. Her sensei seemed a bit odd today. Instead of his forehead protector, he had tied a black bandana around his left eye. He still wore his mask, combined with a suit that didn't work for him at all. That didn't take away her sensei was still as handsome as always. Completely different from Lee's sensei.

"Does a man need an excuse to dance with his student?" he asked. Sakura just eyes him suspiciously. "There's no fooling you eh Sakura?" he chuckled. "Well, I was just wondering how you are doing." Sakura didn't know where this conversation was leading too, and that kind of scared her. She would answer nonetheless. "I am doing very good Kakashi-sensei" she answered, glancing at Lee who seemed a little lost now, not having Sakura by his side. "Are you really?" He asked, his one eyes glaring deeply into hers.

"Yes, I am" Sakura said. The two stopped in their dance. "What are you getting at Kakashi-sensei?" She was getting sick of this already. "I'm talking about Sasuke and Lee." Kakashi said. But Sakura had figured as much. "Lee makes me happy" she answered a bit snappy. "And Sasuke is in the past." Kakashi seemed to smile at her. "Do you know you've become a very strong woman?" Sakura's angry glare subdued. Was that supposed to be a compliment? "Oh…I..." she stuttered. Kakashi laughed.

"Well then, go on." He said, pointing at Lee. "I'll make sure he experiences brutal pain when he hurts you." Sakura glared at him. "That will not be necessary Kakashi-sensei" she said and left Kakashi, musing in the middle of the dance floor. Will not? Lee was starting to rub off on her. Well, there were worse influences, as long as she didn't take over the nice guy pose. Kakashi shivered at the thought.

"So, what did he want?" Lee asked curiously. "He wanted to know how I was doing." Sakura answered shrugging. She grabbed a drink from a table and Lee did the same. He draped his arm over her shoulder and tickled her right ear. She was so beautiful, and entirely his. At a certain moment, Lee gently took Sakura's hand and led her to the balcony Ino was so proud of. On their way there, Sakura caught a glance of Sasuke, who was all alone, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

They went out on the balcony and closed the glass doors. Snow was yet again falling, complementing the soft Christmas lights draped around the house, and the green Christmas tree, standing there triumphantly in the yard. Stars were already lighting up the sky, and Sakura couldn't help but sigh. "Sakura-chan" the voice of her own prince charming brought her out of her daydream and made her look at him.

"This is a very hard thing for me to do." Lee started, blushing like mad. "I have thought this trough for a very long time, and only because I know I will love you trough eternity and more." He made Sakura sit in one of the white chairs, standing there and started rummaging trough his pockets. "You know, Sakura-chan, the necklace was not the only present I have got for you." He said. "He had taken out another, yet smaller box. "I know this is a few years too early, but I would like an answer right now, that is, if you want to answer of course.

Lee took in a deep breath and opened the little box, sitting on one knee in front of his Sakura. "Sakura-chan, even if we have to wait a few more years, would you marry me?" Inside the box was a beautiful golden ring, with a few green stones attached to the material. Lee was waiting patiently, while Sakura did her best to keep on breathing. She barely succeeded in doing that. Lee had just proposed to her. Proposed!!! He wanted to always be together with her, and he proposed. Sakura squeezed her dress. Yes, she wanted this. She did.

A few snowflakes hitting her nose, brought her out of her musing, urging her to answer. "Yes", she whispered, still not able to believe it. "Yes!" Lee, visibly bursting with energy all of a sudden, shakily put the ring on Sakura's finger. It was a perfect fit. "Can I tell everyone?" Lee asked, still clearly bursting with energy. Sakura nodded. She was happy, nervous, excited and completely in love with Lee. Of course he could tell everyone. Lee jumped up on the roof, put his hands on either side of his mouth, and yelled as loud as he could. "Sakura-chan has agreed to marrying me!!! Rock Lee!!!!!" Sakura chuckled.

Almost instantly, The glass doors burst open, a number of people stumbling in, al wanting to get to Sakura first. Sakura stumbled a bit backwards. This could get dangerous. Naruto was the first one to break free and ran over to Sakura, grabbing hold of both her hands. "Is it true? When is the wedding? Can I be the best man? How big is the pie going to be?" he seemed nearly as excited as Lee. "Yes, it is true" answered Sakura as calmly as she could manage. "The wedding is going to be in a couple of years, sure you can be the best man, and I have no idea how big the pie is going to be."

Lee had jumped back down, next to his now not only beloved, but also betrothed. "Gee fuzzy brows, you sure work fast!" Naruto said loudly. Lee blushed. The entire night, they had to hear people out, asking questions they didn't know the answer to themselves. When the question of the amount of children had come up, Lee had disappeared as quickly as he could, his cheeks now almost literally burning. Sakura had just responded with a flat 2. Luckily, the night had ended quickly, as Sakura had announced she was tired and wanted to go to sleep, Lee, of course, being her escort.

When they had arrived, Lee wanted to say goodbye to Sakura but Sakura told him to wait. "Wait right here Lee-kun" she said. "I still have to give you your present." Lee, being the energetic person he was, immediately started jumping up and down, waiting impatiently for his present. It didn't take long for Sakura to come back with a basket. She carefully handed it over to lee who took it equally careful. "A basket?" he asked surprised. "Open it silly" Sakura giggled.

Lee did as he was told and lifted the lid of the basket. Immediately after that, the small, cute head of a puppy made its appearance. It curiously looked up at Lee with big brown eyes. His golden fur was soft, shiny and plushy. It was a little golden retriever. A big red bow was tied around its badge. Lee picked it up and hugged the little dog to his chest. "Look how cute he is!" he said happily. The dog licked Lee on the nose. "Oh, it likes me!" he said happily. Sakura kissed him on the lips. "I like you too Lee" she whispered. Lee gulped. What was his intense feeling all of a sudden? He felt even warmer then before.

"What will you name him?" Sakura asked, her face barely an inch away from Lee's. "Er… I do not know yet." He gulped. Sakura kissed him again. "You can always name him later." She said softly. Lee put the puppy back in the basket. "I suppose so." He answered. Sakura wrapped her arms around Lee's neck, twirling a strand of his hair with her finger and kissed him again. This time longer, softer, more passionately. Lee felt her press her body up against his and gasped a bit. What was this feeling. Sakura broke the kiss and looked Lee in his eyes.

"Tomorrow it's Christmas." She said. Lee nodded. "I suppose you'll have loads of fun huh?" she asked. Lee's eyes saddened for a second but then turned back to bright and cheery. "Yes, I will. As will you, right my Sakura flower?" Sakura smiled. "Right, good night Lee." She handed the basket to Lee, who took it, his face surprisingly red. "Good night Lee."

Lee smiled. "Good night, my future wife." Sakura smiled and looked one last time at her ring before sending a smile to Lee, and going inside her house, leaving Lee on the sidewalk. Tomorrow would be a bad day. Lee knew he was all alone, but he didn't want Sakura to worry.

Sakura was pretty sure she was going to be alone tomorrow, but of course, she didn't want Lee to take pity on her. She would get trough tomorrow alone. She touched her lips gently. What had gotten into her out there?

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There! Any suggestions for the dogs name are gladly accepted. Geez, bad Sakura, what was she doing to poor innocent Lee! Do tell me what you think, your reactions will decide the upcoming plot.

So, please do review!

Happy holidays!!!


	17. Don't you love the mistletoe?

Happy holidays! This will be my last update until Monday and possibly Tuesday. I'm sure you'll be able to forgive me but there is no computer where I'm going. To move onwards, let's answer my reviewers.

The16thday: Well you don't have to wait long for this one. Thanks a lot

Ouran twins rock: Thanks a lot! I think I'm going with your idea of Akemi. Thanks again. And merry Christmas to you too.

Darth Cooper: Wow, you ARE hyper. But don't worry, I like it if my reviewers are a little crazed. It makes them write nonsense I can laugh with, I love it! Yes, I hate Sasuke too, and I knew someone was going to like that.

Animelover5.6: Thanks, I like them too. And happy holidays to you!

Saruke101: Thanks for the effort, but I've got a name. Thank you for the review too.

StrawberrySakuraChan: You don't know what the feeling is? I'll give you a hint. Starts with an l. Yeah, I had some serious doubts there and I almost did name him Gai, but then I remembered this is not a humour fic. Thanks for the idea though.

**Everyone, thanks for reviewing during these holidays, I know it takes more effort then during a school week. Thanks a bunch! Okay, for my last chapter this year!!!**

**On with it!!!**

_**Don't you love the mistletoe?**_

When Sakura awoke the next day, she cursed the sun that had dared awaken her with all its radiance, and pushed her face deep in her pillow. She didn't have a grasp of time right now, and she didn't care. She knew her parents hadn't returned yet, and she knew today would be a day like all the others. But Lee wouldn't be with her today. She turned over one last time before realizing she couldn't sleep anymore. She cursed the sun for the second time that morning and decided to get up.

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Lee in all his youthful spirit was snoring as hard as Gai could yell. Every now and then he would mumble something about the springtime of youth. When the sun shone in _his_ eyes he slowly sat up in his bed and smiled brightly, she sun reflecting on his teeth. "Another happy, youthful morning!" Lee yelled, trying not to yawn. "Yes, today I will…" Lee sunk back on his bed, his smile completely disappeared. "…Stay all alone while others are enjoying Christmas." He sighed. "Oh well, as long as Sakura-chan is happy."

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Sakura was scratching her hair, yawning, while she held a spoon, ready to be dropped in a bowl of cereals. She stroked the edge of the bowl with her fingers and raised a spoonful of cereals to her mouth. This was going to be a long day. But she couldn't help but feel a little bit cheerful, after all, Lee proposed to her. And she said yes. This all felt so right she couldn't help but feel happy. The ring she wore around her finger was so beautiful, she couldn't keep her eyes off of it.

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Lee was sitting on the ground next to his new dog. He had thought long and hard about a new name for the pup, and had finally come up with a cute name. Akemi. Lee petted the cute animal on the head, then picked it up and took it with him to the couch. At least he had some company now. He stroked Akemi gently and watched in delight how it couldn't stay still. "You are a very youthful animal, are you not?" he cooed. Akemi barked what seemed to be cheerful and licked Lee's hand.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Lee's utter amazement kept on growing with the days. People kept on winding up in his threshold, while normally, no one ever came to visit him. Not even salesmen seemed to ring the bell, as if it was contagious or something, but the last few days, it had been used over and over again. It seemed Sakura brought him good luck. Lee set Akemi down on the couch and covered it with a small blanket, to keep it warm, then went to answer the door.

When he opened the door, he saw to his amazement that his team was standing there, none of them seeming to feel sorry they were there, not even Neji. "What is wrong Gai-sensei?" Lee asked rather confused. "I did not think it was training today." Gai chuckled. "It isn't Lee, we've come for you." Lee cocked his head a bit to the right. "For me? But what for Gai-sensei?" Tenten stepped up and placed a very red Christmas hat on Lee's head. "To celebrate Christmas with you silly!" she said cheerfully.

Lee blinked a few times, trying to keep the tears away he knew were welling up. He stepped aside and let his team in. Neji was immediately greeted by a little, golden fur ball, jumping up to him. "Aagh! Keep it away!" Lee laughed and picked up Akemi, holding the hyper fur bal. "What is wrong Neji? Are you afraid of dogs now?" Lee asked, smiling. Neji just hmphed. Tenten on the other hand immediately took over the dog and cuddled it flat. "Oh my god Lee! Who gave you this cutie?!" she cooed.

"Sakura-chan" he answered. Tenten nodded. "And what is his name?" Tenten asked stroking Akemi's head. "Akemi" Lee answered. Tenten really couldn't let go of the dog and Neji appeared jealous. "Lee, this is the time I will tell you a secret" Gai said, sitting in the ouch with Lee, while Neji and Tenten kept occupied with Akemi. "A secret, Gai-sensei?" Gai seemed very serious. "Yes Lee, a secret." Lee seemed to be overjoyed. "Please, do not keep me any longer. Tell me this secret you wish to share."

"Lee, have you ever noticed what happens when you drink sake?" Lee seemed to be feeling dishonoured. "Surely Gai-sensei, you do not accuse me of drinking underage, do you?"

"No, of course not my number one pupil" Gai responded. "But sometimes, you accidentally do drink sake." Lee could indeed remember some times he accidentally drank a sip, yet that seemed completely harmless to him. Gai was watching him intently.

"Lee, you are a natural, or a genius if you will, at using the drunken fist!!!" Even Tenten and Neji looked up from their own situation to stare at Gai together with Lee. "I am what Gai-sensei?" Lee asked, stuttering a bit. "It is the truth Lee, and I'm telling you this because you need to learn how to perfect your skill. Even if it's already astounding!" Lee was gaping at his sensei. "Surely, you mean this as a joke, right Gai-sensei?"

Lee didn't drink, he was underage, and had common sense. He used Taijutsu, and not the drunken fist (neglecting the fact that drunken fist is taijutsu of course) But Lee saw, from Gai's expression that he was very serious. "You become much stronger, and better when you use the drunken fist." Gai continued. "The more you drink, the stronger you become, and I want to train you, and let your talent blossom!!!"

Lee still seemed to be not convinced. "Lee, do you trust me?" Gai asked, putting his hands on Lee's shoulders, his eyes meeting Lee's. "Off course I do Gai-sensei!" Lee responded in all his youthfulness. "Then train with me, into the sunrise!" Lee felt the power of youth return to him. "Yes, Gai-sensei! Let us do that!" Unfortunately, Neji and Tenten were blocking the exit. "Guys, no weirdness today, it's Christmas, and there is no sunset right now."

"Right, we got a bit carried away" Gai said sheepishly. "Let's enjoy ourselves right now Lee, we'll train, starting from tomorrow." Lee nodded in agreement. "You are right, as always Gai-sensei." And thus, the party could begin.

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Meanwhile, Sakura had thrown a glance at the clock. She had slept in today, it was past 2:00 p.m. Like she cared. She dropped her spoon for the last time in her bowl, and brought the last bit of cereals into her open mouth. She then did the small amount of dishes needed to be done and decided to get dressed. She sighed, and really couldn't wait for the day to be over. To kill the time she had left, she turned on the television, to watch some sappy Christmas movies.

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"Tente, stop putting weeds above my doorframe!" Lee yelled, trying to get the green branch away from his female team-mate. "It's not weed, Lee, it's mistletoe." She argued, keeping the branch away from her bowl cut team-mate. Neji watched the struggle in amusement. "Whatever it is Tenten, you have put it all over my apartment, and I have had it." Tenten still decorated the doorframe with the mistletoe. "This is the last bit, I promise" she said almost childishly. Lee sighed and gave in for the 50th time that day.

Tenten then pulled Neji underneath the mistletoe and kissed him shyly. This was one of the rare occasions that Neji got all red. Lee just sighed. The hours had passed by, and now it was almost evening. He enjoyed the fact that Neji and Tenten had finally gotten together, but watching them made him miss Sakura. Tenten, who noticed this, patted him on the back. "Why don't you just go and get her?" she asked.

Lee glanced at her. She has got her own Christmas party to attend to. Tenten frowned. "No, she doesn't. Her parents are out on a mission and she doesn't have any brothers or sisters. She's probably all alone right now." Lee gasped. "Then why would she tell me she did have a party?" Tenten smiled. "She probably didn't want you to worry." Lee grabbed his coat. "I will be back later." He yelled to his three team-mates, and walked out of the door.

Why did she have to say that? Was she really all alone right now? Lee trudged slowly trough the snow. Narrowing his eyes to tiny slits, to avoid the snow from flying into his eyes. He held his arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders and continued onwards.

Luckily, Sakura's house wasn't really all that far away from his, and thus he reached her very quickly. He saw that everything was dark, and no sound was coming from the inside. What was she doing? He rang the doorbell and waited patiently. Not much to his surprise, the door opened to reveal Sakura, with her hair unkempt, her eyes a bit red and tired. "Sakura, what are you doing right now?" Lee asked, reaching out his hand to stroke the red skin next to her eyes. His cold hands made her flinch slightly.

She smiled. "I just fell asleep in the couch, watching a movie" she said truthfully. Then realizing what she had just admitted, she clasped her hands in front of her mouth. Lee shook his head gently. "Do not stay here all alone Sakura-chan, come with me, please." He offered. Sakura started babbling something about her hair and the way she looked but Lee hushed her with a slight kiss. "You are as beautiful as ever" he said. " Grab your coat my angel, and we will be on our way."

Sakura really wanted to go with him. Just looking at him, standing tall and strong in the blistering snow, just to come and get her, made her all warm and fuzzy inside. She smiled and wiped a bit off snow out of Lee's hair. "Okay" she answered, grabbing a coat from behind the door. The wind immediately let her notice how cold it really was, but Lee's protective arm decided otherwise. Chasing the cold away with his own warmth, he pulled Sakura closer to him and started walking back to his own house, holding his hand a few inches away from his face.

Finally, they were there, and Lee opened the door to find Tenten playing with Akemi, and Neji glaring at the little dog who seemed to be scared of the Hyuuga already. "Lee" Tenten whispered, then pointing up to where they stood. Lee looked up to find mistletoe just a few inches above him. He looked at Sakura who seemed to be blushing and kissed her lovingly. How he loved the mistletoe.

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No, this is not the end. Lee still has to have his training in the drunken fist, Akemi needs to grow up and who knows what else happens. This is my last chapter for a while, but I'm sure you'll all wait patiently. Do review while you do and I will be a very happy author when I come back.

See you after new-year!!!


	18. What do you choose?

I'm back! And man, it's good to be back. I'll immediately start writing the chapter you all so crave. But before I do that, I have to answer my reviewers!!! Here goes.

Gothic Saku-Chan: Well, the next year has started and I'm ready to rumble! Yayness!

Troublesome writer: Well, seeing how your review is still one of the longest, I can't blame you, like I would otherwise. Thanks for your review, as always.

ILUVMYNEJIKUN: Well, your name says it all. Hello, thanks a lot!

LeeLover09: Sorry I left, it's not like I wanted to, though. But now I'm back so rejoice

Panther eyes: Aaaw, really? I'm so happy I managed to get that kind of reaction from anyone if people react to your story it must mean they like it, right?

StrawberrySakuraChan: Aaaw, I'm so sorry! Now I'm stupid for not understanding your sarcasm! Yeah, Neji has to have some fear, right?

Darth Cooper: Yeah, people seem to like the mistletoe idea, however cliché. Well, I don't want to make it funny, but I'm going to start a humour fic right after this chapter is finished.

SaSuKe121: Wow! You're too much! Look at me, I'm blushing I'm very pleased you like my story that much but I must warn you. My other stories are mostly not about Naruto and my very first stories are filled with spelling mistakes. My English was pretty rough back then. Still, a lot of thank you's to you! I'm honoured you think of me that way

Animelover5.6: Your patience is now rewarded. The next chapter is here! Let's all cheer! "cough" truly, I'm as happy as you possibly are.

**Those were all of them. I missed writing about these two so much! And reading about them for that matter. I noticed I'm just addicted to these kind of stories! Not good! Oh, and just for the record, today (the first of January) is the birthday of our beloved Gai-sensei!!!**

**On with it!**

_**What do you choose?**_

The rest of the evening, the two couples were occupied with each other while Gai-sensei kept on screaming how youthful everyone was today, making him ever so proud. At a certain moment, he even asked Sakura to leave team 7 and join his. Sakura of course politely rejected the offer, leaving Gai to pout for a few minutes before throwing himself in another weird moment of his. Lee could only watch this in amazement, after all, everything Gai-sensei did was great!

Sakura looked at Lee's shining eyes and smiled. How could she ever have felt unhappy and sorrowful while she had this wonderful boy by her side. She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. She loved this. She felt Lee's confused eyes scan her for a moment before the sweet boy put his own arm around her. This once again resulted in Gai-sensei's eyes tearing up and a weird flash. Tenten had taken a picture!

Normally, Sakura would've jumped up, ripped the camera away from Tenten and jumped on the thing until nothing was left of it, but she was fine the way she was right now, and she wanted to hold this moment for as long as she could manage. Akemi on the other hand thought otherwise and decided to start barking as loudly as he could at Tenten and her camera who had strangely flashed just a few seconds ago.

Shortly, the evening went by rather fast. Sakura had once again decided to stay the night here at Lee's. She had come to feel a little more at home here, then at her own house. It was strange, but just the way it was. She also slept calmly here. Peaceful, it would seem. And that is how Neji, Tenten and Gai silently left as soon as they noticed Sakura had fallen asleep, still in that same position.

Lee would have gotten up to let everyone out but Sakura was snuggled up against him. The other three naturally understood this. Lee didn't mind sitting there either. He put his chin on top of Sakura's head and soon fell asleep himself. It seemed these blissful moments occurred more and more often. And so, the moon viewed another scene between those two, trough the window of Lee's living room.

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The next day, it took Sakura a long time to wake up. Lee had awoken a long time ago and had gently lifted himself out of Sakura's embrace. How that girl could sleep so long was an enigma to him. Very strange. He on the other hand, had no time to stay, he had a meeting with Gai-sensei who had said he would teach him the drunken fist. Lee couldn't help but worry though. He was not one to drink, but of course, if Gai-sensei said that it would be good for him, what choice did Lee have but to believe him.

He wrote a quick note and gently placed it on the table standing before Sakura, sleeping peacefully on the couch now. Lee covered her with a blanket, petted Akemi a last time after giving the dog his breakfast and fresh water and left, closing the door, as gently as he could, behind him. Now, off to the training grounds. Naturally he ran there, seeing how this could turn out to be an exciting day. He was going to be taught a new technique!

When he got there, he saw that Gai-sensei was already there, juggling with what seemed to be bottles. Bottles of…sake. Lee carefully approached and caught one of the bottles right before it fell onto the ground. Gai placed the pile he was holding onto the ground and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Good morning Lee" Gai greeted cheerfully. "Good morning Gai-sensei!" Lee saluted. It was strange how these two never seemed to be grumpy in the morning.

"Gai-sensei, forgive me but…" Lee started, doubting for a second. "Do you really intend me to drink all of this sake?" Gai laughed. "I think this should be enough until midday." Lee gasped. He had never backed away from a challenge before, but this went a bit too far. "Gai-sensei, is this even legal?" Lee asked, doubting very much it was. Gai just laughed. "The way of the ninja is hardly ever legal Lee" Gai answered. Lee had to admit he was right. Killing people and being trained to do so was certainly not very normal.

That was one argument he had lost. Of course, Lee could never win an argument from his very wise sensei. And thus, the training started. Well, that was to say, the warming up came first. So, when the two were finished running their marathon, they could finally begin. "Lee, we will begin with a small sip." Gai said, knowing the damage one small sip could cause. Lee obliged and drank the sake.

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Meanwhile, Sakura too had finally woken up. She yawned and stretched, noticing her betrothed had vanished with the morning sun. Or whatever… She rubbed her right eye and looked at the table in front of her. On it laid a piece of paper, and it was directed to her. So she read it.

Dear Sakura, I have gone to train with Gai-sensei and I will not be back until tonight. Please do make yourself at home and do as you please. I want you to be as comfortable as you can be, since you deserve much more then I can offer my angel. Lee.

Sakura smiled. He was always so sweet. Akemi barked and got the attention of Sakura. Akemi bit down in her sleeve and pulled. But it was only natural that the pup didn't possess the strength to pull the kunoichi anywhere. Luckily for Akemi, Sakura was kind and curious enough to follow him to where he wanted to go. He pulled her to the door and scratched it. "Do you want to go outside?" She asked the dog. Akemi though ran back to his spot that Lee had made him and snuggled up on a pillow. He kept staring at Sakura though. "Oh, you want me to leave?" Sakura said, half laughing. The dog barked in response.

Sakura petted the dog and gave it a kiss on the top of his little head before leaving. "As you wish Akemi" she said. "I will go find Lee then" The dog barked once more, and Sakura left. It was still cold outside but it wasn't snowing anymore. There was no wind either. Sakura decided to go change her outfit before searching for Lee and so, she stopped by her house. She was in such a rush, that she didn't notice the small envelope on the ground, probably shoved down the mailbox. She changed her outfit and ran outside again, still not seeing the white envelope. Sadly for her, it contained very important news.

Sakura ran to the training grounds she knew Lee would be and kept running when she saw a pair of green jumpsuits. What brought her to an abrupt halt though was the sight of a few empty sake bottles and a staggering Lee. She walked a bit closer to find his cheeks red and his eyes lazy. He was swaying as if ready to fall down any moment now. Gai, who was standing in front of him looked pretty tired and very pleased. "Gai-sensei." Sakura called out. Gai looked around to see Sakura. "What's going on?" Sakura asked.

"Dontsjou ignore me!" Lee cried out and tried to punch Gai, who managed to block it. It had gotten a little bit too close. "Lee, stop for a minute" Gai tried. "Sakura-sjan!" Lee suddenly yelled. He ran towards her, his arms spread, ready to hug her. Sakura was not sure if she should run away or not, but then, Lee tripped and fell flat face on the ground. "Wasjer you doin'?" he yelled at Gai. It was strange to hear Lee talk like that while normally, his language was so very modest.

Gai seemed to be losing his temper though. He took a few steps forward and tried to hit Lee who actually dodged, Gai then hit him with his knee and Lee flew a few feet backwards. When he got back up, he seemed a bit more normal. "I am sorry Gai-sensei." He said. "It seems I still can not control myself when drunk." He sighed. "Please excuse me for my rudeness Sakura-chan" he continued. Gai sighed. "It's strange" he said. "The moment you're hit, you get back to being sober." Lee listened but clutched his head as Gai spoke. It seemed he was hung over. "Right now, this can only benefit us, but in a real battle, it is not convenient." Gai mused. "You should always carry a bottle of sake with you."

Sakura coughed. "What's going on?" she repeated her question. "Lee's learning how to use the drunken fist." Gai simply stated. Sakura gasped. She didn't know if she should be laughing or crying. She didn't want a drunken boyfriend but on the other hand, a drunken Lee was a very funny thing. "The problem is, Lee can't control himself when fighting while drunk" Gai kept on musing. "And that too, is not very beneficial, it is a very big problem." Gai bowed his head in shame.

"I know!" Gai suddenly said, hitting his left palm with his right fist. "Sakura, you should try to fight Lee!" Both Lee and Sakura stared at Gai. "I will do no such thing Gai-sensei." Lee said. "I might hurt her." Sakura thought this was true. She could never land a hit on Lee when in normal circumstances. If Lee was truly better when using the drunken fist, she would find herself driven into a pretty sharp corner.

"Don't you see Lee?" Gai-sensei said. "It's just because it's her, you'll be able to contain yourself." Lee crossed his arms. "I am sorry Gai-sensei but I will not." Gai-sensei was now directing two big and pleading eyes at Sakura. Sakura sighed. At least now there was a jounin to stop Lee if necessary. "Come on Lee, let's try it." Sakura said. Gai smiled at her. Lee looked up quite surprised. "What?" Sakura smiled. "I'm glad to be of help with your training, otherwise, I'm just useless." Lee placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and looked her firmly in the eye. Sakura felt a bit nervous, what was going on now?

"Sakura, you are never useless, please do not say that about yourself." Lee said. Sakura sighed. "Fine, but I still want to help!" Lee groaned. "I'll stop you if necessary." Gai said, giving Lee the nice guy pose. Lee, who lost himself in the moment for a second, glanced back at him with teary eyes. "You will do that Gai-sensei?" he asked. "I will Lee!" Gai said sincerely. "Then, I agree." Lee said. Gai handed Lee a bottle of sake. "Three sips this time Lee." Gai said. Lee nodded and gulped down three sips of sake. Sakura watched how suddenly his legs bended forward and his hand wavered in front of him, as if it was the attack stance of a child. Sakura took on her own attack stance. "Lesj go Sakura-sjan" Lee said and jumped forward.

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And stop. I had intended so much more! I'm exploding with ideas, but this chapter is long enough already. At least I know what I have in store for you "evil grin"

Please review!!!


	19. Would you join me?

It's like… 3p.m. right now but I'm not at all tired. Therefore, I decided to write a bit already. I will knock myself on the head for this in the morning! First the reviewers!!!

Animelover5.6: I know, I find him to be cute too! I love the drunken fist and just had to use it.

Troublesome writer: Wow, I suddenly saw you wrote many more reviews! Haha, the descriptions were really hard! I sketched the dress so many times before having it the way I wanted it. Yeah, I wanted Lee to have a dog, I don't know why. Well, the trip was good bit I too had to do 5 days without internet access and I was just dying! I missed writing and reading about Lee and Sakura so much, I dreamt about them!

Panther eyes: The envelope is very important, very, very important. Haha, interesting? It's awesome! You should watch it sometime on youtube, it's really great.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Aaaw cute! Murai-chan? Heheh, thanks for that nickname, I love it. Is this soon enough for an update?

Dena Setsuko: Wow, thanks for the loads of reviews. Er… I see you're looking for sex here. Well… it will be there but… you'll have to wait a bit more. Give them some credit! Lee would never do something Sakura wasn't ready for anyways and so, he'd not be one to make the first move. But it will happen, don't worry… someday. Thanks for reading!

**Okay, that's done and done. Say, does anyone else have this problem? I can't get anything from fanfiction in my mailbox anymore, it's very disturbing! oh, and if anyone knows a good story about Lee and Sakura…(being their ninja selves though) please tell me, since I can't find any!!!**

**On with it!!!**

_**Would you join me?**_

Sakura watched how Lee unsteadily raced towards her. She quickly formed a seal and switched her body with a lump of wood right when one of Lee's hits connected. The lump of wood flew trough a tree and hit a rock, then scattered. Sakura gulped. "Wasjr you runnin away forjs?" Lee uttered. Sakura jumped down right behind him and tried to hit him on the back of his head, right at the moment that Lee staggered to the left and fell down. Sakura blinked and gently tried to place her hand on the boy but found her hand to be slapped away and Lee's face only inches away from hers.

"That wasj no fajr!" Lee told her with a double tong. "No fair?" Sakura asked, a bit scared. "You sjneaked up be'ind me!" Lee practically yelled. He then thrusted his first forward , making Sakura fall back a few steps. When she found Lee approaching again she slammed her fist down onto the ground. Using the chakra manipulation technique she had learned from Tsunade, she broke the ground as if causing an earthquake, and Lee lost his footing. He swayed and tumbled, thus not getting hit by rocks and debris. Sakura realized why the drunken fist was so effective. It was unpredictable.

Gai seemed to be more then surprised at Sakura's ability. "Please don't kill Lee, will you?" Gai half joked. The truth was, he was more then a bit concerned now. "Sjeatstjer!" a voice yelled. Lee had rolled in front of Sakura and was about to hit her. Sakura was getting a bit hysterical and decided to kick Lee square in the face. This time, Lee blocked because he was just about to scratch his nose. Sadly for him, a lot of strength was put behind the kick too, and he flew backwards, landing, not very softly against a rock.

Sakura gasped at what she had done but decided not to try and approach him. This was really dangerous. "Ow" a voice simply stated. "Gai-sensei, what has happened?" Sakura let out her breath. Lee was back to being Lee. She wiped a bit of dust from her outfit and scanned the destruction she had caused. "Did I do this?" Lee asked, scanning the area as well. Gai simply shook his head. His voice seemed to be unable to work at this time. He simply pointed at Sakura who suddenly blushed and stared at her feet. "I'm sorry" she mumbled.

Lee then looked at the tree that seemed to be punctured by something and the wooden log scattered in front of what looked like a dented rock. "Did she do that too?" Lee asked, pointing at the other chaotic field. Gai once again shook his head. "No Lee, that was you hitting a log Sakura exchanged with using the replacement technique." Lee gasped. "I tried to hit her full force?!" he yelled at himself. "Maybe Lee, but I must say, Sakura didn't hold back either."

He pointed at the rock Lee had landed against. It had cracks on it. "I'm truly sorry." Sakura said. "I got a bit scared." Gai laughed. "I fully understand Sakura, I get scared when Lee is drunk too." But Lee seemed to be caught up in his own thinking. "I still cannot control myself when drunk it would seem." He said, a few memories returned to him. "Perhaps we should not continue Gai-sensei." He truly was worried he would hurt his beloved cherry blossom.

"I think you should." Gai said. "This girl is really able to take care of herself when using chakra." The 'when using chakra' kind of stung at Sakura. What was that supposed to mean? "Excuse me Gai-sensei" she said, a little bit agitated. Gai turned to look at her. "I know my taijutsu isn't as good as yours, but it's not bad either!" Gai blinked at the sudden rage of the girl. "Don't fret Sakura, you're just better at Genjutsu and ninjutsu" he tried to cheer her up. Sakura on the other hand decided to start pouting.

But she had to face the facts. Gai was a jounin who really knew what he was talking about, especially when being a taijutsu master himself. She sighed and ran a hand trough her hair. "Fine" she sighed. "You're right." She sat herself down underneath a tree, keeping herself from pouting. "Sakura-chan, please do not get so angry." Lee tried. "You must understand that we have worked hard to attain our level and do forgive me but your taijutsu is not our level." And now Sakura felt guilty. Off course it wasn't! She was not as hard a worker as Gai and Lee.

"I'm sorry guys" she said. "I'm acting stupid today, I don't know why." Lee smiled. "Do not worry Sakura-chan, you are a very good ninja." He rubbed his back to prove it. "I have felt it myself." Sakura blushed. "I'm sorry." She said. She got up from her sitting position and walked over to the boy. "You know, I really think you should continue using this technique." She said soothingly. Meanwhile, her hands felt up his back, trying to locate the source of the pain.

"Gai-sensei is right, it seems I can defend myself with… ninjutsu" She still seemed a bit disappointed with herself for discovering her incapability of using good enough taijutsu to aid her boyfriend in his training. She would have to train herself later on. "I have found it to be very effective." Sakura commented further. She now found the source of the pain and started healing, her hands lighting up, thrusting her chakra gently inside Lee's body to heal him.

"But Sakura, I am a danger when drunk." Lee argued, finding the stream of warmth coursing trough his backside to be quite pleasant. "Don't forget about me so soon Lee." Gai now intervened. He seemed to be more then amazed at his growing discoveries about Sakura's abilities. "And besides, it seems we have a fine medic nurse at our side too." He continued, winking at Sakura. Sakura simply blushed at the compliment. She dropped her hands and Lee felt that the pain had not only subdued but had completely vanished.

"Do you really not mind helping me, Sakura-chan?" He asked, grabbing her hands and staring gently into her warm, kind eyes. She laughed. "The only thing I mind is getting up as early as you do." Gai smiled at this. "You don't have to run our marathon's with us if you don't want to." He said. Sakura gaped at him. They ran marathons? She shook the thought away though. Lee now rubbed his head. "I think this is enough for today Gai-sensei." Lee said. "My head is hurting really bad right now."

Gai laughed. "That's the pain accompanying the pleasure Lee" he said. "It's all part of being your youthful self." Lee silently doubted he had felt any pleasure from the sake but he thought he'd understand later. Sakura smiled. "Is he free to go then?" she asked. Gai nodded, and Sakura immediately took Lee's hand, dragging him away from the weird training they had. "Let me help you." She said and placed her hand on Lee's head. She hadn't done this in front of Gai because he would resume the training, but now she could clear away Lee's headache.

She coursed her chakra trough Lee's head as well and as soon as she felt the pain clear away, she pulled her hand away. She was a little out of breath because of it. All the chakra she sent trough Lee's body came from her after all. Lee of course, noticed this. "If it wears you out, please, do not do it." He said, already feeling guilty that his headache had gone. "If I said the same about your training, would you stop?" Sakura asked. Lee shook his head. "Well, don't ask me to stop either then." Lee smiled. "That is fine, but I can bear a headache Sakura, alright?" Sakura agreed. At least Lee seemed to allow her to treat combat wounds now.

"Say Lee, what do you say about getting some soup?" Sakura asked, feeling hungry and cold. Hot soup would solve both problems. Lee tucked some of Sakura's hair behind her ear and kissed her on her cold nose. "Whatever you wish my angel." He answered. And thus Lee and Sakura locked their hands together and walked around Konoha in search of something that sold no ramen but soup.

They ended up in what seemed to be a karaoke place. The place was a little dark but very cosy. The seats were soft and plushy. They opened the menu and indeed found the soup they now both so craved. Tomato soup is what they ended up choosing. To their big surprise, they didn't just get one plate of soup, but more of a plate and a pot each. It was really fancy and surely enough to feed even Naruto. The waiter filled their first plate of soup with much delicacy and directed himself towards Lee. "Do you and milady crave some wine sir?" he asked. Lee looked at Sakura grinning. "Do you want some my angel?" Sakura playfully hit him on the head. "No thank you." She responded instead of Lee. "This boy here can't hold his liquor."

The waiter left and Lee pouted. "Sakura-chan, was that really necessarily?" Sakura kissed him gently. "I'm only teasing you Lee-kun" she told the poor flustered boy. As if the waiter was interested in Lee's private life anyways. Sakura started eating the hot steamy soup up and looked up to see how a shy girl was pushed on stage by what seemed to be her friends. "Immediately, some people started cheering and someone pushed a mike in the girl's hands. She selected a song and started singing it. She wasn't bad but not really good either.

Sakura sighed after the girl was finished and received a small applause. She put her hand underneath her chin and stared dreamily at the spot the girl had just stood. Lee knew what she was thinking. She wanted to sing very badly, but she was too afraid to sing alone. Lee grinned and put down his spoon. He grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her with him. "Lee, what are you doing?" Sakura asked confused and a bit scared because she had a feeling of what would happen next. And it happened!

Lee pulled Sakura on stage with her and immediately, the stage master (or whatever it's called) went towards them to give them both a mike. Sakura nervously hid behind Lee. Why was he doing this?! Her heart was racing so fast when seeing all the other people that she thought it was going to explode. What she didn't see though was a very well hidden Kakashi and yes Gai! Kakashi seemed to be being bothered by Gai, having no interest in the great green man whatsoever. But even Gai shut up when he saw Lee and Sakura on stage.

"This is going to be good!" Gai smiled. "Lee is a very good singer." Kakashi rolled his eye. Of course Lee could do nothing bad according to Gai. If Sakura could sing though, he really didn't know. He didn't think so either. "Start of something new" said Lee and the music almost immediately started to play. Lee looked at Sakura and saw she was really nervous, and yet she hadn't run off what meant she would sing with him. He was happy.

Lee was to sing the first part.:

**Living in my own world  
Didn't understand  
That anything can happen  
When you take a chance**

He was a really good singer, and Sakura was staring at him, her mouth agape the entire time. How could she sing next to someone that good? Yet her part was there, she had to sing, besides, Lee was smiling at her.

**I never believed in  
What I couldn't see  
I never opened my heart  
To all the possibilities**

Sakura took a deep breath. Lee seemed to stare at her, for she too was not at all a bad singer. She seemed to be quite the hidden talent! Now came the part they had to sing together. They both took a deep breath and continued the song they now both came to love.

**I know that something has changed  
Never felt this way  
And right here tonight**

This could be the start  
Of something new  
It feels so right  
To be here with you  
And now looking in your eyes  
I feel in my heart  
The start of something new

The music started to become more ritmic, drums were added, it seemed louder and much better. They both got into it good and the audience was even clapping with the ritme, keeping both of them motivated.

**Now who'd of ever thought that  
We'd both be here tonight  
And the world looks so much brighter  
With you by my side  
I know that something has changed  
Never felt this way  
I know it for real**

This could be the start  
Of something new  
It feels so right  
To be here with you  
And now looking in your eyes  
I feel in my heart  
The start of something new

I never knew that it could happen  
Till it happened to me  
I didn't know it before  
But now it's easy to see

And this was the climax, now they had hit the highest note there was to sing and the end of the song was coming closer. They both sounded great and the other people were really getting into it. This was it!  
**  
It's a start  
Of something new  
It feels so right  
To be here with you  
And now looking in your eyes  
I feel in my heart**

That it's the start  
Of something new  
It feels so right  
To be here with you  
And now looking in your eyes  
I feel in my heart  
The start of something new  
Start of something new

The song ended, and both Sakura and Lee were gasping for breath. The audience had exploded into a loud wave of noise and Sakura and Lee couldn't stop looking at each other. They were amazed with the abilities of the other and couldn't help but feel good and happy. This had been a good idea.

Gai was clapping loudly and whistling while occasionally yelling at Kakashi that Sakura was very good as well as his Lee. Kakashi was stunned, because 1: Lee indeed could sing and 2: Sakura could sing too. Yet, why didn't he know that then? He sighed. He was starting to envy the relationship that Gai had with his students, he seemed so much closer to them. He looked at Gai who was still clapping rather enthusiastically getting a few weird looks. But perhaps this was because he was very much a child himself. Kakashi sighed to himself. What an idiot he was.

When the clapping had ended, and Sakura and Lee got off of the stage, Lee playfully ruffled Sakura's hair. "You are an amazing singer Sakura-chan, your beautiful voice matches any angel's." Sakura smiled. "You're not bad either Lee, you were amazing!" Lee opened his mouth to answer, then saw Gai giving him the nice guy pose. His cheeks flustered immediately. He couldn't believe his sensei had seen him do that. Sakura had noticed her own sensei as well. She was more then flustered, she was as red as the cloth of Lee's headband.

She hid behind Lee, knowing very well that Kakashi had already spotted her but oh well, she could try to be invisible again, right? "You guys were great!" Gai almost yelled at them. Lee smiled at him. "Thank you Gai-sensei." He said. He noticed that Gai was holding one of the bottles of sake he had failed to empty earlier. Kakashi had one standing in front of him as well, probably placed there by Gai. It didn't seem to have been touched by the silver haired jounin though. Lee and Sakura had then decided that perhaps they should eat with their sensei's, and so they grabbed their own plates and pots and placed in on the same table as Kakashi's who obviously thought he had enough company already. The poor sensei had come to gain some alone time, was then joined by Gai and now had some pesky students at his table too. He sighed. Oh well… it could've been worse. It could've been Naruto.

And so they sat there for a while before everyone decided to go home. The biggest problem was the people asking for an encore and the guys now hitting on Sakura, threatening to be hit by Lee himself. And so, they left. Sakura decided not to go with Lee today. She wanted to check if there was news off her parents already, perhaps they had returned, it was about time they did. Lee let her go after hearing this, probably going to run some laps around konoha and disappeared in the distance while Sakura headed home.

When she got home, she opened the door and entered the hallway. This time she did notice she lost the footing of her right foot on something slipping on the floor and found the envelope. She curiously picked it up and opened it. Maybe it was a sweet letter of Lee. She read the contents and immediately her eyes were filled with despair. This could not be. This was not happening!!!

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The end.

Yeah right, anyways, what is in the envelope eh? Want to find out? Review! Oh, I just love those sensei's, I have to put them in there from time to time. I'm sorry if I put down drunken Lee the wrong way, it's very hard! It really is, but I tried. Oh, and if you're interested in the song, it is called: Start of something new. It's from the movie: high school music. If you want to hear it, this is the link: http://levinavarro. you go. In my opinion, it is exactly how Sakura and Lee would sound. They both sound young enough for sure. Now, please review!


	20. Would you do that?

Guys, come on! The last chapter was the longest I've written this story and it got the fewest reviews! Please review a bit more guys, I'd love it. No, I'm not gonna threaten to end this story, I love it too much myself. To those who did review, all of my thanks and of course, your answer…

Troublesome writer: Yeah, great movie isn't it? I really thought they were made for the song. Haha, dedicated? I wouldn't say that… I just really love those two you see? Haha, my cliffies amaze you? "grin" they should drive you crazy but that's okay too.

Panther eyes: Episode 88? Can't quite remember which episode that was… but you haven't seen Lee drunk yet, that's for sure. But keep on watching it. Her parnts… well…

LeeLover09: This soon enough? And thanks!

Animelover5.6: It seems you realized what has happened. Hmm, I guess I wasn't subtle enough. And I love the song, but I didn't want to make a songfic, so I just came up with karaoke.

Darth Cooper: Yeah, I have some trouble with too. I don't get review alerts anymore, or anything for that matter. Yeah, I love cliffhangers. Er… Gee, I can't promise you that, but I'll do my best!

**And that was all of them! Teehee, today I bought a Sakura and a Lee miniature! I love them so much! They're cool! And they serve as my inspiration. Lee is standing in his fighting pose, his hair swaying a bit, and Sakura has her hair short and is holding a kunai in front of her, holding her hand like when she cut off her hair. Oh, and sorry that the link in the last chapter is so… weird. I don't know what happened to it.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Would you do that?**_

_Miss Sakura,_

_We are very sorry to inform you on this sad matter, but both of your parents were killed while on a mission. They died protecting the values and people of Konoha and thus shall always be remembered as the heroes they were. We are very sorry, and we shall assist you in any way needed. If you need anything, please inform the Fifth off this matter._

_With our deepest apologies_

_ANBU_

Sakura was crumbling the paper slowly as she clenched it tighter and tighter. She tried to breath normally but didn't succeed. Her breath became heavier and faster, and soon she was on the ground, on the verge of hyperventilating. Tears were streaming down her face and her eyes seemed lifeless all of a sudden, empty and vulnerable. Sakura's breath didn't cease to be so laboured, it only increased in tension, and Sakura's heart started burning. She couldn't help but start sobbing all off a sudden, increasing her difficulty of breathing.

This was not happening. How could it be? Her parents couldn't be dead, because that would mean she had lost them. That would mean she could never see them, talk to them again. She could never hug them goodnight, never wish them a good morning, and never surprise them by making breakfast. Never would she be able to spill out her heart to her mother again and never again would they be together, just being a family. So this couldn't be real, because otherwise, all of that would be true.

Sakura let out a furious scream and threw the piece of paper across the room, hoping everything would turn back to normal as soon as the writing disappeared as well. Deep down though, she knew the truth. Again she felt as she had felt some time ago. Alone, abandoned and drowning. She felt like she was choking on her feelings, that the walls were closing in on her to engulf her in even more sadness. Her vision became so blurry, she couldn't even make out the door anymore. And yet she stumbled across the room, frantically searching for the doorknob, doing her best to open the door.

Finally, she succeeded and swung open the door, not even bothering to close it, simply running away from the house, filled with memories, fresh sorrow shining in her eyes. Why did her life always have to alter like this? Right when she thought everything was finally the way it should be, something changed her life for the worse. But it never had changed so drastically and dramatically as now. Sakura couldn't cope with this, and she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to run to Lee, feeling she had no right, seeing how he himself had lived alone practically all his life. Lee had never told her, but Sakura knew his parents were murdered when he was younger.

She didn't think Lee wasn't able to feel sorry for her, even if he was as sweet as he was. He would try to make her feel better, obviously, but Sakura would feel even worse to ask for Lee's strength where he must've felt even worse sorrow then her, seeing how he had been younger. Sakura had a feeling of déja vû as she ran trough the woods and towards the lake. What was this feeling of despair creeping up on her? She had never felt anything like it before.

Again, her heart started burning, and this time, the feeling spread throughout her entire body. At the same time, she felt a kind of stress in a very high degree, as if she would explode should she stop running. Her tears had now dried up, and she had no more left, making her eyes hurt as the wind whipped past them. She finally reached the lake but this time, she ran past it. The forest was left behind her and the now sandy road made her escape from reality even harder and even more so impossible. And finally, her legs that felt like they were on fire buckled out beneath her and she fell flat on her face.

She felt the small rocks in the sand scrape her face as she shifted her head slightly, but she didn't care. She stared at her right hand, laying limply net to her, her fingers a little bit bent. Her hair had fallen into her face and her emerald eyes were half closed. It seemed like her life had lost all meaning. A last tear slowly slid down her cheeks and fell onto the sandy ground. What could she do now? She only saw one more escape, that being the ultimate escape.

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Lee was finished running his laps and was now heading home. Sure enough, as faith would have it, he walked past Sakura's home and saw that the door was wide open. Off course this worried the boy and he decided to be rude for one time and just enter. After all, it was for the sake of his cherry blossom. But no one was there to notice his rudeness. He yelled a few times, not getting a response. Strangely, the light had still been burning too. Lee frowned. What could have happened to her?

He was just about to turn and leave to find his Sakura when his eye fell on an obviously mistreated piece of paper laying on the floor. He bent trough his right knee and picked it up. He carefully unfolded and straightened the paper, feeling horrible for being even ruder, but feeling this could be a clue as to what had happened. His eyes scanned the paper, shock, pain and worry growing in his eyes. As soon as he finished it, he let it fall down again and quickly went out to search for Sakura. He did close the door fist though.

Wherever she had run off to, Lee knew he could easily catch up with her. The only problem was that he didn't know where she had gone. He sighed and clenched his hands into fists. He would just have to guess and hope for the best. And so Lee too started running, searching for his beloved, hoping the girl wouldn't do anything drastic.

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Sakura sat up, her eyes wearing a tired expression. She gulped. These feelings she was still feeling really hurt her. She wanted to get rid of the pain. She grabbed a kunai out of her bag and stroked it slowly. She knew this was wrong, but she couldn't bare it. She couldn't understand what the world wanted with her, to just torture her like this. If it wanted her to give up, then it had succeeded. Sakura lifted up the kunai, pointed it to her neck, ready to stab herself.

"Sakura, stop!"

Sakura opened her eyes to find Lee standing not too far away. He looked angry and scared at the same time. Sakura couldn't utter a word. "What are you doing Sakura-chan?" Sakura saw Lee was panting hard. He must've run here as fast as he could manage to. The poor boy really cared for her, didn't he? But what did it matter now? She did not drop the kunai, only gripped it tighter. "Exactly what it looks like." She said boldly. Lee sighed. "Sakura, please do not do this!"

Sakura flinched at the tone of his voice. It wasn't truly rage, it was more a desperate order. "Why should I Lee? You don't understand!" She yelled at him, feeling how she suddenly had more tears to spill. Lee looked down at her, clearly afraid. "I read the note Sakura-chan, I do understand." Sakura sobbed. Indeed, some tears had returned to her eyes, ready to be spilled. "But please, do not do anything this drastic." Sakura shook her head. She didn't want to listen to this. Lee sighed and pulled out a kunai as well. He then sat himself in front of his beloved.

"You know that I love you more then life itself, right Sakura-chan?" he told her. Sakura just sobbed more, the kunai in her hands shaking. "Well…" Lee now held the kunai the same way Sakura was. "If you decide to do this, I will do the same. I do not want to live on without you." He seemed eerily calm and dead serious, while Sakura was trembling even more. This, she had not expected to happen.

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Okay guys, please review or I will not update. Another cliffie guys, what will happen next huh? I know, and you don't, that pleases me. Am I not mean and cruel. Well, I hope you enjoyed this, please review!!!


	21. Are you afraid?

Aaaw, lookit my reviews. They are few but I like them very much, so I guess that counts as double? "grin" just finding an excuse for myself to write on. Just to share this with you guys, I'm having a lot of trouble writing about a full day! I don't know why but it's so hard for me, so if you have noticed that some days may seem rather incomplete then I'm sorry! Now, my reviewers!!!

Troublesome writer: Haha impressive cliffies. Thanks a lot for this comment, because I love it! Actually you're right! I love your reviews! so that is positive. Well, I didn't want Kakashi to be the one to find her again, and I didn't want her to run into the lake again, you know? It sounded so cheap! Like a copy and paste! Yeah, Lee just had to do that, I found it to be perfect, and I love it myself. I always look on the bright side! Otherwise, I would've given up a long time ago. Nonetheless, thank you

StrawberrySakuraChan: aaw, poor you! I can't blame you now can I? I hope you're feeling better now. Aaaw, couldn't you tell me what you hoped she'd do? Or is it more general, like a yes or no question for you? I know! I don't want him to die either!!!

Darth Cooper: The tensest even? Yeah, I understand that. I was actually mad at myself for stopping there but oh well…

Animelover5.6: Now that you mention it, it is like Romeo and Juliette. Damn! No one likes Lee to die, besides those stupid people who hate SakuraxLee. I mean, how can you hate that pairing? "growls" oh well…

**And that was all of them. Again, there were few but they're long and count double. "sheepish grin" right? My internet connection doesn't work right now but who cares, this is only in word, I'll fix it later.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Are you afraid?**_

"Lee-kun, don't be foolish" she uttered. She wanted to clench her eyes shut, to block out the view of the one person left she loved, ready to kill himself, but at the same time, she was afraid that when she did, Lee would find the opportunity to knock away her kunai, and then what would she do? "And what about you Sakura-chan?" Lee answered calmly. "Do you not think of yourself as foolish right now?" Sakura sharply brought the kunai closer and Lee did the exact same. "Please stop Lee-kun" Sakura begged. "Only when you stop first Sakura-chan."

Sakura was starting to get a bit angry now. Why was he doing this. She didn't deserve this! All she wanted was to be free, to no longer feel the pain burning in her heart. She gritted her teeth in pain at the mere thought of the note shad had left at home on the floor. It all burned so much. Lee noticed this and put up worried eyes. "Sakura, I know your hurt, please let me assist you in overcoming that pain." Sakura couldn't understand how the normally oblivious boy could be so sharp now. The twinge of guilt she knew she'd have when going to him struck her deeply now.

"I'm not as strong as you are Lee!" she screamed at him. "I want to be like you, but I can't! I'm weak and…" her hands were trembling so much, she feared she would just drop the kunai. Lee noticed this too and seemed to almost wait for the moment. "… And I just don't know what to do anymore, I don't know what to…" And this was the moment. Her kunai slid out of her hands and fell onto the ground, her hands shooting to her face, covering her sadness and catching her tears.

Lee immediately dropped his own kunai and shot upright, gathering the kunoichi tightly into his arms. He wanted to take all her pain and feel it himself, just keeping it away from his cherry blossom. But he couldn't. All he could do was watch his beloved drown in her sorrow, and try to support her to his best abilities. It's not that he didn't know the feeling you have when this happens, it's just that he believed Sakura felt it much worse then he had done back when his parents were murdered. Sakura's bond with her parents had developed more then his ever could have seeing how Sakura had had her parents for more then a mere few years.

"Lee-kun, please…" Sakura sobbed. "Please let me go." Lee only held her tighter. "I will do no such thing. I will protect you, even from yourself." Sakura now clenched Lee's jumpsuit tightly in her hand. She wanted him to go away and not look back. She wanted the boy to find another and forget all about her. But she didn't want him to follow her even into death. How selfish would that make her. "I know it is not much Sakura-chan…" Lee soothed. "But please do remember you have still got me. And you will always have me."

Sakura's sobbing reduced. She knew that. She understood that Lee meant this without having to force himself into the deal. And she was very grateful for it. The love she felt for him had been strong enough to overcome death. She would have committed suicide would Lee not have told her he'd do the same as her. She knew he had meant it. She knew he had been serious. And that made her both happy and sad. Her legs were feeling numb, and even if they weren't, she couldn't get out of the tight, protective embrace, Lee had pulled her in. It almost felt as if he was too scared to let her go.

"Promise me Sakura-chan…" Sakura heard that Lee's voice sounded teary and uncontrolled. "Promise me you will never try this again." He held Sakura even tighter now and Sakura felt how a few tears hit her in her neck. She hadn't broken Lee, had she? Her mind switched suddenly to the boy now holding her so tight. She now only wanted him to stop crying, to stop feeling sad. "I am sorry." Lee sobbed. "You would not have tried this had you felt like I was still there for you." Sakura stiffened in shock. Was that really how the boy felt right now?

"That's not true!" she responded. "If…if it wasn't for you, I would have continued." She stopped crying herself now. "I just didn't want to bother you with this while I knew you had gone trough the same thing and… and you probably would've found me to be weak." Now, Lee pulled back in shock. "You are not weak Sakura-chan!" he told her. "You have endured so much, you have carried so much on your shoulders and all I want is to be as strong as you are." Sakura smiled a bitter smile. "You don't mean that." She whispered. Lee gently lifted her chin to make her look him in the eye. "I do, I really do with all my heart. You are one of the strongest people I know."

He hugged her once more and pulled her to her feet, supporting her as he felt she had overused her legs. Sakura felt the sorrow return to her though. Now that she was standing, where would she walk to? Home? She didn't want to go home. The place was filled with memories she'd rather not recall. And to be honest, she didn't feel like the now empty house was much of a home to her anymore.

"You are coming with me Sakura-chan." Lee stated simply, as if reading her mind. "I will not allow you to be alone now, and if you wish it, you can stay with me permanently." He looked her in the eye. "Do you wish it?" Sakura smiled and hugged Lee to herself. "Yes, I do!" she said loudly. "Lee, thank you so much!"

Lee smiled. "No, thank you for listening to me."

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I'm gonna stop here. I have to go somewhere later on, and I won't be back until after midnight. I did my best to finish it, now I hope I have the time to upload it. If not, sorry!


	22. Are you happy

Teehee, one review more then yesterday. "yawn" I am so tired right now. Oh, I'd like to know this of you. **Since it seems fewer and fewer people are reading this, do you think I should finish this story and start another or continue this one? Please do tell me what you honestly think**. Now, to answer my reviewers.

Troublesome writer: Aaaw, you nearly cried? This may seem wrong of me, but I always like to be able to draw that emotion from people. "grin" indeed, most people are expecting action. Do you think I should involve it soon? Heheh, I am so scared to write that moment seeing how it would be very important. Enjoy this chapter!!!

Animelover5.6: I know! Some people even say: worst pairing ever! And yesterday, I was talking to someone about Naruto, and when I said I wanted to see Lee and Sakura together he promptly said: I don't know you anymore. Joking of course, but still…

Darth Cooper: Exactly what I wanted to write! Thanks for noticing.

Panther eyes: Nearly? Heheh, well, I love drawing that emotion out of people. That is how I select my favourite stories, the ones that bring me on the verge of tears, those I like.

StrawberrySakuraChan: I checked it out, read the review! Aaaw, thanks for the compliment. Well, I couldn't just let it end so tragically, could I? I may be a mean cliffie-writer, but killing off my characters takes away the fun! You healthy today?

**Well, that was all of them. Oh, just to tell you people about an awesome story. You should all read: Is it really better this way. It's an awesome story! I didn't write it, no. But I'm sure those who haven't read it yet will surely enjoy it. The author is an awesome writer! But of cours, this story now eh…**

**On with it!!!**

_**Are you happy?**_

Sakura was sitting in the couch of Lee, tapping her fingers on the table, staring at the drink that was placed in front of her. Lee had offered to go to her house and get her belongings since he seemed to realize she herself didn't want to go back. Sakura had naturally accepted this offer and had thanked Lee numerous times for giving her this relief. And so now, here she was, waiting. Lee seemed to trust her being alone now. Sakura wondered why. She sighed. Maybe, Lee had gone back to being his naïve self. Not that she would try anything.

A long, monotone ringing of the doorbell brought Sakura out of her daydream and back to the present. Had Lee already returned? She knew he was fast, but not this fast. She got up and opened the door. And as she had thought, she didn't find Lee there, but Tenten and Gai-sensei. Tenten blinked at her opening the door, but Gai seemed to not be surprised at all. What was even more unusual, he didn't flash her his usual smile. Sakura stepped aside to let them in, knowing that Lee wouldn't have refused them either and smiled kindly. "What brings you two here?" Sakura asked friendly.

"Well, the truth is…" Gai said uneasily, scratching his hair. "We are called for a mission." Sakura bit her lip a bit but this went unnoticed. "But where is Lee?" Tenten asked. The question answered itself as Lee suddenly emerged from the still open door, his arms filled with…well…stuff. Tenten gasped at this sight. "Lee, what are you doing? You seem to have just robbed someone!" Lee smiled at his female team-mate. "No Tenten, these are Sakura's belongings." He answered simply. Tenten's eyes widened at that.

"She is staying with you?" she asked Lee, her eyes switching from Lee to Sakura. Sakura nodded in his place, seeing how Lee was juggling to not let anything drop. He eventually placed everything in the couch. "Wow Sakura, how did your parents ever agree on that?!" At this, Gai suddenly placed a firm hand on Tenten's mouth. "Forgive her Sakura, she's really clueless at times." He told her. Sakura guessed Gai was aware of what had happened. He was a jounin after all. Did that mean Kakashi knew too?

Tenten was furiously clawing at the hand holding her, probably cutting off her air. When Lee pointed that out carefully, Gai released her. "Gai-sensei, what is your problem?" she yelled at the 'youthful' man in front of her. He threw her a firm glance that he didn't often show and thus, Tenten just decided to hold her tong for now. Another knock on the door made everyone turn around, and Lee opened the door, revealing Neji. He frowned, and sighed. "Alright, I would like to know what is going on her now." Lee stated.

Neji who had spotted Sakura threw her a sad and sorry look. One that Sakura both appreciated and resented. Of course, Neji was a jounin now too. It was obvious, Tenten was feeling she was the only one not knowing something important but she didn't ask. Gai drew out a piece of paper and showed it to Lee. "We're leaving on a mission tomorrow, Lee" he said. Lee took the piece of paper and read it carefully. "This says we will not be back for a week." Lee said. He seemed almost angry.

"Well…yes" Gai answered. "Like most missions." Lee sighed. "This means I will not come with you." He stated matter of factly. Tenten gasped, Neji just stared, but Gai grabbed hold of Lee' shoulders and looked at him angrily. "Lee, you can't just deny this mission. It is important for us to be complete now. Don't be so selfish!" Sakura opened her mouth to say something but Neji gave her a look that told her not to.

"Gai-sensei, someone else needs me right now." Lee glanced at Sakura and everyone looked at the poor girl. She felt awfully nervous right now. Gai sighed. "I understand that Lee, but still… Please don't leave me hanging here." It was at this precise moment, one specific moment shot trough Sakura's head. If Lee had to choose, who would he choose? Gai, or Sakura? Sakura decided she didn't want to let him make that decision and stepped up. "Lee, go with them." She told the boy.

The self proclaimed beautiful green beast of Konoha now stared at Sakura as if he had never seen her before. "You know I cannot do that Sakura-chan!" he said loudly. "Not now!" Tenten sighed. "Can't she stay with her parents for one more week?" This conversation was starting to unnerve her. Gai slapped himself in the face for Tenten's comment, Lee simply glared at her ferociously, and Neji, obviously feeling sorry for her, went over to her and whispered something in her ear.

A few seconds later, Tenten's eyes widened and suddenly held an expression of grief and guilt. "I'm sorry Sakura." Sakura was just staring at her feet. She really wanted this conversation to stop now. Things were getting way too tense for her, and she didn't like it. Not at all. "Lee, just go on the mission, I promise I won't…" she sighed. "I promise I'll be alright." Lee stared at her and Sakura felt this. She felt his scanning eyes hold her in his grasp while she continued to stare at her feet. Finally, a sigh escaped Lee's lips and it seemed he had made his decision. "Fine, I will come with, on one condition." Gai nodded, signalling he was listening. "We try to finish this mission as soon as we can, even if the paper says it probably takes a week, alright?" Everyone nodded understandably.

"We leave at 6.00 a.m." Gai said. "Don't be late." Lee nodded. Tenten and Gai walked away but Neji stayed behind a few more seconds. He whispered something into Lee's ear and then left himself. Lee stood there dumbfounded but then turned around. It seemed Sakura hadn't moved yet. "Sakura, I am very sorry about this." He said, his eyes struck with pain. Sakura tried to smile but didn't succeed. "It's alright Lee, it's not your fault." She looked up to meet his eyes. "You're a ninja, and right now, you have a mission." Lee nodded.

Lee sighed. "I do not want to leave you Sakura-chan." His right hand crept trough her hair and stroked it. "You have to Lee-kun" Sakura said. In the corners of her eyes, a few tears were shining. "I promise I'll be waiting." Had she not been so sad, she really would've performed the nice guy pose, but all she could muster now was a weak smile. Lee kissed her deeply. "You do know I love you, right?" he once more asked. "I do Lee, and I love you too." She answered.

The rest of the evening went by rather quietly. Lee and Sakura both focused on getting Sakura fully installed, and soon, her clothes hung in the closet, her valuables were placed in the night table and some pictures Lee had taken as well were snuck away underneath the mattress. Sakura didn't seem to have much, but that was alright. "Is it alright for you if we go to sleep now Sakura-chan?" Lee asked. Sakura nodded and they both got ready to go to their bed. Sakura would sleep with Lee. She needed him right now after all.

She snuggled up safely inside Lee's cosy arms who held her as tight as he could. Every now and then, he placed a kiss on the blossom's lips and soon, he noticed she had fallen asleep. He smiled weakly as he noticed how beautiful and sweet she looked when asleep. He could stare at this vision forever. But sadly, he would have to leave. Tomorrow. It seemed he found himself incapable of falling asleep. The words Neji had whispered to him haunted him still.

"If you think you won't survive this mission, don't show up."

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"sigh" and that's that. I don't like this chapter but phooey. Please take note of what I wrote entirely above and let me know what you think.

Please review.


	23. Do you miss me too?

Okay, so I've got many different replies. Yeah, my problem was indeed that I don't want it to seem stretched. And it seems I'm running out of ideas. Also… I'm kind of intimidated by other authors, and then to look back to what I'm doing. I'm kind of embarrassed. And that's why I'd like to start from scrap with a new story. I'll finish this one first though so now is my question: **would you guys like a tragic or a happy ending?** Okay, now my reviewers.

Troublesome writer: Oh no! I would really hate it if you were a disappointed reader but my endings are never… awesome. Aw geez. And it's not the reviews I'm talking about, but the hits I get per chapter, they reduce drastically. But, I'm not going to end yet this chapter, that's for sure…

Darth Cooper: Sad yes. This is drama you know. Don't worry, I wouldn't end it there, I just asked if I should end it soon. It seems stretched to me.

Panther eyes: That's what I think too! It's just a very dangerous mission.

StarmanHaxor: Oh, I'm sorry, is that wrong? Should it be Lee's couch, or did I simply misspell the word couch? Thanks, I enjoy writing very much, especially when other people like to read it. Thanks for your review.

Animelover5.6: Good thing you win! I wish I could help you in debating. Bushy brows sucks? They don't know what they're talking about!!! Lee is cute! (huggles her Lee miniature)

StrawberrySakuraChan: She won't. She promised him you know. Aaaw, I can get very emotional too. Okay, very good. Do get better!

Van the Key of Lain: a little off? How do you mean that? Please tell me, it might be helpful. Aaaw, I really like to draw out emotion when writing. I love doing that. Thanks for your opinion. I'll try to follow your advice of ending it, before it gets too long. Thank you.

IfTheFlameConsumes: I should continue? Alright, then I won't end it for a while. Thank you for the review.

**Those were all of them. Thank you all! Now this chapter is going to be very much improvised. "sigh" I hope something good will come out.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Do you miss me too?**_

Lee had not slept at all this night. He had been thinking about what he should do every second that passed by. And now, it was time. He carefully loosened Sakura's grip on him and placed the girl entirely underneath the covers, protecting her from the cold. He softly kissed her nose before turning around to get ready. The entire process went by quickly and quietly. And eventually, Lee excited his residence to greet the mean, cruel world. He trudged slowly towards the gates of Konoha, not wanting to leave but knowing he had to fulfil his duty. He kept staring at the ground the entire way there.

When Lee finally arrived at the gates, he found his own beloved sensei talking to Kakashi-sensei. He seemed awkwardly serious and Kakashi seemed to actually acknowledge the conversation he was having with Gai. When Gai spotted Lee he smiled brightly and made a gesture that told him to join in on the conversation. Kakashi didn't seem to mind. "Good morning sensei." Lee greeted with a small bow. "Do you need me for something?" A hand was placed on Lee's shoulder and he looked up in surprise that the hand belonged not to Gai but Kakashi. "Lee, don't worry" the almost entirely hidden ninja said. "I promise I'll look after Sakura while you're gone."

Kakashi didn't seal the deal with a nice guy pose, but Lee knew and felt for some reason that he could trust the white haired man. He smiled at him, gratitude written all over his face. "And now that is settled, can you keep your head with the mission Lee?" Gai asked a little bit concerned. Lee nodded. It was only now he noticed Neji and Tenten being there as well. It seemed he had been the last one to show up. He looked at Neji who smiled at him. Truly smiled at him. Lee thought Neji found he had made the right decision, and he was glad he thought so.

"Are we ready to go then?" Gai asked. It was odd how his cheerful mood seemed to be nonexistent today. Could something be wrong? When Lee noticed everyone looking at him, he quickly nodded. "See you later Gai" Kakashi said. Gai nodded one last time at him. With this, everyone left. Lee was the last one to jump up into the trees, glancing one last time at Kakashi, hoping he was right in trusting the man. But he knew it was better then nothing. As soon as the group had left, Kakashi turned around, sighing. A shiver went down his spine. Kakashi frowned. He wasn't a superstitious man but this bad omen made him grow worried nonetheless. It is said that when a shiver runs down your spine, the last person you talked to will die. "Be careful… Gai" Kakashi mumbled.

He sighed and copied the two words Shikamaru was famous for. "How troublesome."

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Sakura snuggled deep into her pillow, feeling the soft texture caress her skin. When she suddenly realized this meant Lee wasn't there, she jumped up, staring at the alarm clock in horror. It was 10.00 a.m.! She threw the sheets off of her and quickly got dressed. She knew she was too late, she knew it. She couldn't see Lee anymore before he left but she had to go, even when she knew he wasn't there, when there was a slight chance, she just had to check in on it.

She ran to the door, ready to put on her shoes when she saw a note, pinned to the wall next to the doorframe. She shakily took it off and scanned the paper with her emerald eyes.

_My dear, sweet, beautiful Sakura._

_I did not want to wake you up this morning, for you were sleeping so cutely and peacefully, my heart couldn't bare it. I know I will be gone when you read this, but do not worry, I assure you I will come back to you. I do whatever I can, to come back as soon as possible. I want you to feel at home quickly, so please do whatever you want to do. Please do remember that you will always have me, and that I love you with all my heart. Please remember me in desperate times. And please… wait for me._

_I love you so very much! And I will always, no matter what._

_I will see you soon. _

_Rock Lee_

Sakura read the piece of paper over and over again. It was soothing, it was caring and it was calming. She hugged the reassuring text close to her heart and smiled. Lee would always make sure she was alright before doing anything, it would seem. What a sweetheart the boy was. Sakura sighed, knowing she would miss the daily doses of love his eyes had given her. When he would come back, she would show him exactly what she would do for the boy. Oh, how she loved him. She really was a lucky person. She carefully placed the piece of paper on the table and decided to go outside. She couldn't be locked inside all day now could she?

So she grabbed her coat, twisted the doorknob, opened the door and… stumbled back in shock. Right outside of the door stood her own gray haired sensei. She blinked a few times before greeting him. "Good morning Kakashi-sensei." She said. Kakashi smiled at her like he always did, almost as if she was a child. But somehow, she liked how protected it made her feel. "Good morning to you too Sakura." He answered. Wow, he didn't even have one of his porn books out. Kakashi sighed and put his hand on Sakura's shoulder, much like he had done with Lee. "Sakura, would you mind if we talked?" he asked. The seriousness in his mostly indifferent voice scared Sakura, but she accepted.

"Off course sensei." She accepted. "Let's go eat something." Kakashi proposed. "My treat." Once again, Sakura accepted, this time with a simple nod. The entire way to the ramen stand, Kakashi didn't say a word, but Sakura didn't really mind. It felt like a comforting silence. One that her sensei was always able to bring forth. Perhaps this was because he himself was always so very serene and calm. At the ramen stand itself, there were no other customers.

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Lee was ready to slap himself in the face. He had said his mind would be with the mission but he found himself incapable of forgetting about Sakura. Why was this so hard? He sighed, and at this exact moment, his foot slipped on a tree branch and he almost fell. That is, he would've fallen had Neji not grasped his hand at the last moment. "This is not time to doze off." Neji hissed ferociously, pulling up the shaken boy. "Keep your head with the mission for a few minutes, will you?" Neji had already noticed Lee's mind had been elsewhere. He had been just waiting for this to happen, and it finally did.

The other team members had also come to a halt. "Lee, what are you doing now?" Gai asked, a bit stern. "You have to stay focused, this is a dangerous mission." It seemed everyone was keeping their voice down. How deep had they infiltrated the enemy's territory? It was then, that a kunai flew out of nowhere, straight towards Lee. The boy barely dodged it, but it had been too late, and a scratch in his right arm was now starting to bleed. Then, without warning, two massive tree branches shot towards Lee. He braced himself for the impact but felt himself being shoved aside. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that his beloved sensei was tightly wrapped by the branches, almost as if they were suffocating him… almost, snake-like.

This sounded a bit too familiar to Lee's liking, but right now, his sensei was more important. He didn't seem to be able to breathe or even move. So Lee charged, drew back his fist and hit one of the thick branches. This didn't even result in a scratch for the tree branches, but the sudden explosive wave seemed to have hurt Gai though. "Byakugan!" Neji stared intently at the snakelike enemies. "They don't possess chakra." He stated. Lee heard from his voice, Neji was starting to panic too. "This means they're being controlled by someone." Now, Neji frantically started searching the area around him.

"O-Or" Gai stuttered. "What was that sensei?" Lee had to hold back his tears of fright, and heard his sensei mumble even more while he tried desperately with all his might to break the branches and set free his beloved sensei. "O-Orochimaru." Lee gasped, his nails were now digging into the branches. The sannin was still alive? Had Sasuke lied to them?

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"I have heard about your parents." Kakashi said sympathetically. Sakura nodded, feeling her throat shut down all of a sudden. Kakashi sighed. "You know, you're not the only one who lost their parents early." Sakura knew this. Naruto and Sasuke had gone trough the same thing, even Lee. "I have experienced the same thing" Kakashi spoke. Sakura looked up at him. She hadn't known this. "My father was all I had for a long time." Kakashi stated. "He was known as the white fang." Sakura listened intently. "One day, on a mission, his friends were in danger, and he… he saved them rather then complete the mission."

Kakashi ate a bit of his ramen. "After this, he was seen as the scum of the earth." Sakura didn't know what to say, but she knew the story wasn't finished yet. "My father… he couldn't cope." Kakashi continued. "And one day, he killed himself." Kakashi sighed. "I've been alone myself since then." Sakura stared up at him, confused as to why her sensei would tell her this. Kakashi looked at her. "You see, we all had our share of grief." And he smiled. He actually smiled at Sakura. "But we all still have people that care about us." Kakashi continued. "And that's why I hate to see those people suffer and perhaps do something drastic." Sakura gulped and quickly turned her head to her bowl of ramen.

"I'm looking out for you Sakura." Kakashi said, as if he hadn't noticed her last move. "Until Lee comes back, I will be sure to help you when needed. I know I'm a poor replacement but…"

"Thank you sensei." Sakura said, smiling. She really did appreciate this. Kakashi gulped down the last of his ramen and placed his money next to Sakura. "As I said, my treat, but I still have an appointment with the hokage. He winked at the girl. "You _will_ be alright, right?" he asked as if searching for his own reassurance. Sakura nodded, smiling. She was glad her sensei had entrusted her with that. As soon as Kakashi was out of sight, she continued her ramen when suddenly, someone joined her. "Oh, hello Sasuke!"

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Teehee, this is a two sided cliffie, and it is my very first. I'm happy! Do tell me what you think!!! So, I have decided not to end this too quick, but also not too late, therefore, note what I said above please? And please review!


	24. Am I on time?

And here we are once more. I don't know if I already asked this of you, but does anyone, someone who doesn't himself perhaps, have an original idea for me to write a story about? Leexsaku naturally. I have been thinking for days now but I can't seem to think of something, and the ideas I do have feel like they would be ripped off from someone. But enough off that, now to answer my reviewers.

957: Did I get that right? The name? Heheh, well, there was another chapter, you could've read that, or perhaps you didn't notice it yet. Thanks for the compliment and the review.

Troublesome writer: Hey, you! "grin" well, the story has to end someday, right? Even the never ending story had an end. Happy ending, got it! Yeah, I liked that twist too, it was fun to write! Er… what I have in mind? Honestly? Not a thing. Haha, I'm truly making this up as I go. But oh well…

Panther eyes: Well, Kakashi just isn't a bodyguard. Yeah, Sasuke is… "cough"

Tygatha: twisty? "grin" I guess you're right. Well, I will not end yet.

Animelover5.6: OMG, today, some guy just said to me: I think that guy is ugly (referring to Lee) I was so mad. Okay, happy, got it! Well yeah, this IS a drama ficcie.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Yay, someone liked the letter. Well, it's not Lee who is in danger right now, but erm… Gai, you know? Hahaha, I still adore that murai-chan nickname by the way Thanks for your review, you're too kind. Alright, next chapter up!

**And that was that! I haven't got much to say today besides… I love Lee-kun!!! Oh, and tomorrow, school starts again, so the hours off my update will be later. Sorry guys!**

**On with it!!!**

_**Am I on time?**_

Tenten drew out her katana and sliced away at the branches. This was going the wrong way. Their former sensei was starting to colour an eerie blue. His teeth were gritted and his eyes closed in what seemed to be pain. They were running out of time. Sadly, the katana too failed at slicing the branches open. How was this even possible? Tenten was more desperate then Neji, who was still searching wherever he could see. Lee was simply hysteric. His fingers were bleeding from scratching away at the stubborn captivators, knowing a punch would result in him hurting his own sensei. He didn't care though, he didn't even feel the stinging pain in his hands. Tears were now blocking his vision.

"I've found him!" Neji screeched and jumped off. Lee immediately jumped up to follow the boy. Perhaps, if they could defeat the villain, Gai-sensei would be released. That is, if they were on time. Tenten stayed behind. She would try her best to free Gai nonetheless. Orochimaru didn't seem to be too far off and soon, they located him sitting in a tree, his hands supporting his head lazily, a smirk plastered all over his sadistic face. Without saying a word, Lee pulled out a kunai and threw it at the snakelike man. Orochimaru easily dodged and leaped to another tree.

"Let him go!" Lee yelled. He jumped towards him and punched him squarely in the face, soon realizing he had hit a substitute, now melting away from his hand. "Let who go?" Orochimaru asked playfully, looking at his nails. "Release Gai-sensei at once!" yelled Lee even louder. Neji was now standing right next to his team-mate, his eyes demanding the same. "Gai?" Orochimaru asked in mock surprise. "What about your beloved Sa-ku-ra-chan?" He spelled out, angering the taijutsu-master even further. "Don't let him provoque you." Neji whispered, already knowing where this was leading to. "We have no time for this conversation, Lee!" he said loudly. Lee glared at him. "Don't you think I know that?"

The truth was, he didn't know what to do. But time to think, they didn't have and so they decided to charge at the man. "This is the real one." Neji told Lee as he saw trough Orochimaru with his byakugan. Lee nodded and opened his attack, immediately followed by the other taijutsu-specialist. He drew back his fist and made it connect directly with Orochimaru's face. That is, had the man not drawn back his head at the last moment, making Lee hit the tree behind him. But here, Neji landed one of his own, softer hits on Orochimaru's right arm. He just sneered, obviously not understanding, what the soft hits could do to him.

Lee gritted his teeth. They were running out of time. He decided that he should reveal his secret weapon. He quickly took off his leg weights, resulting in a laughing Orochimaru. "What is that going to help?" he sneered, obviously not realizing how heavy the weights truly were. Lee saw this as an opportunity and threw the weights at Orochimaru who had already gotten ready to catch them… but instead, he was thrown backwards into another tree, the weights pulling him entirely down to the ground. Lee didn't give Orochimaru the time to recover and jumped down next to the man, punching down onto his nose, resulting in a bloody mass.

Orochimaru hissed and revealed his teeth. He suddenly thrusted his head forward, as if wanting to bite the boy.

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"Hello Sakura" the Uchiha greeted and took the seat next to her. Sakura paid him little mind and continued eating her ramen in peace. "What can I get for you young man?" sounded the voice of the owner of the ramen stand. "I'm fine, thank you." Sasuke responded. The other man just huffed and continued doing the dishes. "Not hungry?" Sakura asked, now looking at Sasuke who was supporting his chin with his right hand, while looking at the girl. "Not really, I'm just waiting for you." He responded, smiling sweetly." Sakura slurped a strand of ramen inside. Sasuke watched this in small delight, but Sakura didn't notice.

"Waiting for me?" Sakura asked, cocking her head a bit in question. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk with me, later on." Sasuke said, innocently scratching the back of his neck. What was up with him, he was acting like Naruto. If Sakura hadn't seen Naruto walk with Hinata earlier on, she would've thought the blond had transformed into the Uchiha. "I'm sorry, I'm acting stupid." Sasuke said as if reading her mind. He was more like reading her confused eyes right now though. "But, do you accept?" Sasuke asked. Sakura really rather not, but she didn't want to refuse the boy when trying to get back her trust. She sighed. "Alright Sasuke, I will come with you."

Sasuke grinned at her, and then looked into her bowl. It was almost empty. Sakura, feeling his eyes stare down at it in impatience, quickly wolfed down the rest of her food. She then paid for her and Kakashi's ramen with the money the man had given her, accepting the little change and putting it in her pocket. "She then jumped up from her seat, Sasuke copying her movement immediately. "Where do you want to go to?" she asked. She noticed her body was kind of stressing out right now. She didn't know why though? Maybe the uncomfortable warmth was from the hot ramen she had jus eaten. "To the training grounds, perhaps?" Sasuke asked. Sakura couldn't help but giggle a bit. Now he sounded like Lee. "Why would you want to go there? To train?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed a bit. "No, not to train." Perhaps, he had noticed who he had resembled by having said that, which had made him mad. Yeah, that must've been it. "To talk." The Uchiha continued. "I want to catch up a bit, and the training grounds are quiet right now, without some… people hanging out there now." Sakura felt her heart twinge a bit. Sasuke was now definitely referring to Lee. "Er… okay" she agreed, not daring to refuse the man who was now glaring at almost everything that dared get in Sasuke's way. It seemed a bit off his former arrogance had returned.

And so, they did walk towards the training grounds, Sakura only hoping Sasuke wouldn't try anything right now, knowing Lee could never show up since he was out on a mission. Wait, Sasuke knew this…how? She shrugged it off wit the possibility of Kakashi having told him floating into her mind.

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Lee tried to pull away but knew even he, at this point could not avoid the teeth coming towards him. Suddenly, a powerful thrust was given with a really familiar palm. Lee thanked the heavens for Neji being in his team right now. The Hyuuga finished his attack with another thrust to Orochimaru's left arm, and then one in the man's belly. Orochimaru stumbled backwards, surprised at the pain suddenly emanating from his gut. He coughed up blood, finally noticing that internally, he WAS damaged.

"Thank you, Neji" Lee uttered. "Save it for later, Lee." Neji said, focusing completely on the now horrified man in front of them. But then, a smirk appeared on his face. "Fine, if you want to play it rough, you can have it rough." He pulled out what seemed to be a scroll and bit his thumb. Neji, noticing what he was going to try to do, dashed forward, getting ready to attack Orochimaru's heart area now. But he was too late. Orochimaru had slammed his hand onto the ground, completing the summoning technique.

Suddenly, a humongous snake appeared before them, Orochimaru standing proudly and arrogantly on top of its head. Neji growled. He could take him, but that would take a long time, this needed to be finished now! He sighed to himself, thinking of a solution, and sadly, only one came to his mind. One, that Gai-sensei had told him about. He pulled out a bottle from his clothes and threw it at Lee. "Catch!" Neji said. Lee caught it just in time, reading the label, curious of Neji's plan.

'Sake', it read. "I can't Neji!" Lee hollered. "I'm not at all ready!" Neji glared at him. "We have no other choice right now!" Lee nodded, understanding the urgency of the matter. He immediately gulped down the liquid before their enemy could do a thing about it. The combined forces of his speed, increased by the loss of his leg weights, and this technique, brought forth by the sake. Suiken. This should be more then enough. Neji grinned as he saw how Lee's knees bent a bit strangely. This would be over in no time.

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Finally, Sakura and Sasuke had arrived on the training grounds. They sat themselves down in front of the lake, Sakura had recognized as the one she had run into so stupidly. Sakura and Sasuke had been talking about all sorts of things before Sakura asked a question she had wanted to ask Sasuke for a long time now. "Sasuke, how did you kill Orochimaru?" Sasuke looked into Sakura's eyes, the look he gave her not quite normal, not quite… known. Suddenly, the Uchiha gently placed a hand on Sakura's.

"Lee isn't here now, is he?" Sakura didn't know what freaked her out the most right now. The fact that Sasuke had avoided her question, the hand now placed on hers, or that Sasuke was now leaning in on her, having just announced that he knew her only protector, and the only man she now expected to rescue her from this hidden place was away. And then, once more, the bitter lips off Sasuke were roughly placed on top of hers., his right hand gently pushing her down into the grass. "I still love you Sakura, can't you come to love me again?"

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And stop. I once again ended with a two-sided cliffie! I just love those! "sigh" I wonder what happens next. Lee is not here, and Kakashi is with Tsunade, no one left to save Sakura. And what about Lee's combined trump cards? What will happen now? Review and find out next time. (man, how cheesy did that sound?) but please, do review!


	25. Must I hurt you?

I must say, has been acting crazy lately. I suddenly get review alerts for chapters like chapter 17, and no, no new ones. But, I must say I'm grateful for the reviews I got for last chapter as well. But my internet is moving veeeery slowly, I wonder why. Anyways, today I came up with two new ideas for a story in school (very weird how that place inspires me so) and I'm going to try and update the first chapter for both of them, so watch out for them. And now, my reviewers!

StrawberrySakuraChan: I never drank it, but I'm sure you're right. Lee agrees also (in episode 108 or so) Off course she won't fall in love with him! The problem is that Sasuke is rather pushy, but you'll read all about it now.

Troublesome writer: "turns her head in shame" yes, that is exactly what I do, always have, always will. "grin" yes, but I doubt it was the kind of action you meant earlier on eh? Yeah, I first wanted to kill off Gai, but I feel sorry for him now so I don't know what I'll do! I guess I'll find out before I type it down eh?

The16thday: No problem! As I mentioned, is screwing with me as well, so don't worry. Yeah, I like Gai very much myself, he's so very cool! Okay, maybe not, but still…!

Animelover5.6: Truth be told, I liked Saku/sasu in the beginning myself…that was until Lee truly did protect Sakura with his life and the episodes that followed after. I mean, when Lee first appeared, my mouth hung open. I was like, WTH? I'm glad you liked it!!!

Panther eyes: Hahaha, you must see it! So, where are you now? His downfall, or his recovery, or what? "grin" I don't think I'll let her do that though.

Leelover09: "grin" Yeah, I enjoyed writing those last chapters very much. I'm glad you like it even though I must agree with you that it indeed had its downs. I hope I won't let you down when I finally get to the final chapter (no, not yet)

ChaosImperial: No, that's now what I mean. Off course I'll write a final chapter, either way! But, I was just wondering how many more chapters I should add before doing that, you see? But, I'm glad you want me to continue nonetheless.

Van the Key of Lain: Hahaha, thanks a lot for that explanation! Yeah, I didn't want her to move in with Kakashi in fear of something happening that I really didn't want to happen. And I thought, since Lee and Sakura are already betrothed, it's about time, don't you think? And thanks for the wonderful review. "gulps" seeing me soon. "cowers in fear" what are you going to do to me? Whatever I did, I'm sorry!!!

"**cough" okay, either way, here's the next chapter. I don't think it will be the last one yet, but truth be told, I'm writing on impulses here, and I'm craving to write another story where they aren't together yet, exactly why I'm going to start with one or two after this. Whether or not I post them already is all up to time.**

**On with it!!! (I love doing this)**

_**Must I hurt you?**_

Lee stumbled a bit and almost fell off of the branch that was supporting him, but his foot got stuck clumsily and so he didn't fall. Neji raised an eyebrow at this. Was this for real? Lee, now hanging upside down pointed a shaky finger at a dumbfounded Orochimaru. "Sjou pussshed me!" he accused. Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly at this, he then smiled a small smile, then grinned, and eventually tossed his head back, laughter now echoing throughout the forest.

"You just poisoned your own team-mate!" he laughed, looking at Neji who only glared at the vicious snake. "What are your chances of winning n…" before he could finish his sentence though, a foot connected with his jaw, sending him flying, blood making its way down his chin. "Donsjou laugh at mje!" Lee yelled in fury. Next, everything happened terribly fast. Lee seemed to have disappeared and even Neji could barely see an extremely fast body jump from tree to tree in a speed unfazed by any man.

Orochimaru was just shakily standing up when this time, a fist plunged itself, full force into his belly. The man spat out an even greater amount of blood this time, resulting in an even angrier Lee. "Sjou jus' ruined my suuut!" Neji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. How strange and different this drunken Lee was. Almost as if it was a dark side of the normally so nice Lee. Talking about Lee, the boy was just pulling Orochimaru's hair. "Sjou tryin' to copy Neji?" he asked. And without waiting for an answer, he teared off the hair in one strong swing. Lee laughed hard at this.

If anyone else had been watching this, Neji would've hid in shame, but now he couldn't help but be amused with the normally so frightening sannin, screaming in rage and pain for his hair. Orochimaru tried to hit Lee with his strong arms, but Lee kind off… fell over right when the strike was to connect. Orochimaru blinked when suddenly, a foot connected with his chin. "Tha' wasj sjour fault! Jerk!" Lee yelled, angry he had fallen for some reason. And he continued the beating in a speed now so high, that Neji had given up on trying to track his team-mate.

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Sakura held back the urge to puke. Sasuke's hand had now moved to her hip, and she rudely slapped it away. Sasuke was not allowed to touch her like that, never again, and she would let him know that. "I will never love you again Sasuke!" she stated, trying to wriggle away from him but succeeding very poorly. She glared up at the boy. "You swore you wouldn't do this again." She hissed.

She was taken aback when suddenly, Sasuke activated his sharingan, his eyes swirling with the darkness of blood red and pitch black. His tong was grazing his teeth and lust filled his eyes. He leaned in closer to her ear, sending shivers down her spine, his hot breath manipulating her body, making it respond in a way she didn't want it to . "I lied" came Sasuke's faint whisper. Sakura inspected their position. She was laying in the grass, her knees pulled up a tad while Sasuke was bent over her, on his hands and knees, those awfully familiar hands placed right next to her head.

She saw one chance, and one chance only. She breathed in Sasuke's foreign scent, trying desperately not to look the Uchiha in the eye. She knew he'd see right trough her if she did. And then, suddenly, and without warning, she thrusted her palm, strengthened with her own chakra and fear, upwards, making it connect with Sasuke's chest. The boy immediately flew off of her and was catapulted a few feet away from the now fairly proud girl. That proud quickly changed into anxiety when she saw him clutch his chest, trying to get up though. He was still conscious? After that?!

Sakura decided to just run for it, never giving Sasuke a second glance. She ran and ran, until she couldn't run anymore. She realized something awkward was going on though. She had wanted to run back to the village but it seemed the forest simply refused to end, and as if the trees all looked familiar, yet foreign at the same time. Sakura growled at herself when she realised she had already been caught in a genjutsu from the moment she had seen the sharingan activate.

Now what should she do? Snap out of it off course! And the best way to do that was trough pain. She grabbed a kunai and quickly jammed it trough her left leg. Blood spurted out, but the scenery didn't change. What was going on? "You'll find that to be quite ineffective Sakura." Sasuke said. The boy was now advancing on her slowly, his right arm still clutching his chest. "You see, you can't get out of this genjutsu by hurting yourself." He advanced even more, but Sakura stood her ground. She didn't know where to run to anyways, and perhaps the explanation would give her some idea.

Sasuke took a strand of Sakura's hair between his fingers and smelled it. Sakura tried to slap him, but this time, Sasuke grabbed her palm before she could. He looked her in the eye once more. "Only the pain caused by another can help you awaken." He smiled. "And with that, I mean physical pain." Sakura growled at the man now standing next to her. She couldn't believe she had awaited his return for so long now. What was wrong with her?

"But don't worry, Sakura" Sasuke continued softly. "I promise I will be gentle." Sakura's eyes widened and she tried to push the Uchiha off, to no avail though. It would seem she was in his world now. The mud from the sandy ground was already clutching her limbs tightly, slowly dragging her down onto the hard, cold ground.

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Neji stared in awe at the pile of meat that now laid in front of Lee, freaking out because he had gotten his hands dirty. It was quite obvious that Orochimaru was dead, seeing how no man could survive being chopped into 200 pieces, every bone scattered and broken, and every muscle ripped apart, the heart ripped out and squished flat and the brains merely stepped on when Lee's foot had squished Orochimaru's skull.

Now, what was he to do next? It seemed he rather not make Lee angry right now, seeing how he didn't want to end up like the once famous ninja before him. He sighed when he saw Lee perform a small dance. He really should try it, who knew how Konoha would end up otherwise. "Lee, could you kindly come over here please?" Neji asked, doing his best not to say anything that could anger the man. "Why shoush I do sjat, Neji?" the drunk teen responded, his eyes narrowing slightly. Neji couldn't help but gulp. "To tell you a secret." Neji continued bravely.

Lee immediately became jolly and happy like a little child as he walked over Neji quite clumsily, to finally stand next to him. Neji put his left hand to his mouth, motioning for lee to come closer. Lee did so and allowed Neji to put his hand on his right shoulder as he did so. "Well, the truth is…" Neji was sure that Lee was listening intently enough. He sent a great deal of chakra throughout Lee's body, ignoring the pained screams that emanated the Ninja's body. When he finally retreated his hand and stopped his sneaky attack, he jumped back a few feet, hoping these last minutes weren't his last.

Lee shook his head, looked at Neji and at the bloody pile on his other side. He sighed when he saw that Neji was truly afraid of him. "Thank you for your help, Neji." Lee said. "But just for the record, a small scratch would do too." Lee didn't hold it against the Hyuuga that he had hurt him so much though. It seemed his rival had been very scared. Not giving this a second thought, realizing he had a lot to take care off now, Lee jumped onto the nearest branch, back to where he had seen Gai-sensei lastly. Neji followed closely behind him.

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"Leave me alone!" Sakura screeched, knowing she couldn't be heard right now. Sasuke obviously knew this too, and he chuckled at hearing the kunoichi try so hard. He let his smooth, right hand run across her face, stroking her hair and the few tears away. He had waited too long for this moment. His long craving was truly the only reason he had returned. The only reason why he had betrayed Orochimaru. Sakura gulped as the lust filled eyes of her former lover once more scanned her body.

With one commando of his left hand, a few leafs it seemed, shot by and ripped off Sakura's shirt. Sasuke smirked and planted kisses all over the beautifully flower, down to her belly button, finding the skirt she was wearing was in his way. This, he unzipped himself, before sliding it down her delicate legs slowly and tauntingly. Once more, Sakura's body reacted the way she didn't want it to, as she felt tingles being sent trough her body. Tears were sliding down her face. Lee wasn't going to save her this time.

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Tenten was holding up a couching Gai, giving him little bits of water every now and then. This was truly not what the man needed at the moment. His bones seemed to be crushed because of the branches' tight embrace. Numerous cuts were planted along his body too, but they were superficial. Also, a deeper cut seemed to be ripped in his flesh somehow. This cut hadn't stopped bleeding yet. But the main problem was to get Gai to breath properly again. Lee stopped abruptly in front of his sensei, nearly slipping off of the branch he was right now, not being able to halt his full speed immediately. But Neji had grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Sensei, calm down a bit!" Tenten screamed. Gai was calm, very calm, eerily calm even. Rasped breaths, and coughs were coming from his throat, but his blue colour was pulling away, only to leave a sickly pale in its place. Tenten seemed to be sick of it. She was going to help her sensei, no matter what. Gai had closed his eyes, trying to get a breath in, but not being able to, when suddenly, he felt a strong wave of air fill his lungs. He opened his eyes to find Tenten's lips pressed tightly on his own. Neji was standing there dumbfounded and seemingly jealous while his number one pupil was there, worrying himself to death. He pushed Tenten gently away from him when he noticed he could indeed breath better now, thanking the girl with his eyes, not being able to say much.

She immediately clutched herself to Neji's arm, smiling triumphantly. This time, Lee kneeled in front of his sensei. He really was in bad shape. "We have to get him to the hospital!" Lee said loudly, scanning his still smiling sensei. The smile was killing him right now. Neji and Tenten immediately agreed. Gai was lifted onto Neji's back who had little trouble carrying the jounin. Gai did his best not to complain about the pain he felt every time they shifted him, but his gritted teeth gave him away. Lee placed a reassuring hand softly on Gai's back. "We will be there soon Gai-sensei." Lee said reassuringly. And off they went.

It indeed didn't take them too long, all three off them being worried sick about their sensei. On the way there, Neji told him about how his number one pupil had beaten Orochimaru in a rather…painful way, resulting in his sensei laughing hard. Neji grinned. Lee had always been a way to cheer up his sensei. But said boy was now deep in thought, jumping next to Neji. He seemed to be worried about something else then his sensei right now.

"Ah, the gates of Konoha" Gai weakly said. He was obviously glad to have this difficult yet short journey to be over with. While there, Lee seemed to scan the area for something but found nothing. Why was he feeling so nervous? Luck had it, that right there, talking to the guards, was the one and only Kakashi-sensei. Even he seemed to be shocked to say the least when they arrived their with Gai, Neji quite exhausted. "Gai, what happened?" the jounin screamed. Gai only gave a faint 'good guy pose' before collapsing completely.

"I'll take him from here." Kakashi offered, noticing Neji's tiredness. "Where's Sakura?" Lee mumbled to himself, feeling anxious when thinking about her. "I saw her head to the training grounds with Sasuke." Kakashi responded while hauling Gai onto his back. Not even waiting for a response, he rushed off to the hospital with his rival/best friend. Lee's eyes were bulging out of his head about now. Sasuke was still the betrayer he once was and now, he thought Lee was gone! He immediately sped off to the training grounds himself, swearing that he would kill Sasuke, had he hurt his beloved cherry blossom even one bit.

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Now, this is a long chapter! Wow, I have no idea where all of that came from, but I'm fairly happy with it. Oh, and if invaderweb is reading this by any chance… please update! "grin" Now guys, could you review please? The story is not finished yet!!! So keep on cheering me on, will you? Bye now!


	26. Can I kill him now?

I am sooo happy! Look at all the reviews I have gotten for last chapter. All of you have made me very happy. Even though I do wonder where this explosion of reviews is suddenly emerging from, I truly am not one to complain. Oh, and I'm sorry for not having uploaded the first chapters of numerous other stories yesterday, it seemed I forgot I had a rehearsal. So, sorry. But I'll certainly try harder today. But first this chapter and my reviewers of course!

StrawberrySakuraChan: "grin" Gates of Konoha is awesome? I don't understand. Yeah, Lee rules! And indeed Sasuke is a pervert, but honestly, am I not as bad as him for writing this? I'm glad you liked it!

Panther eyes: It was not too violent, it was entertaining. Hmmm… I'm not sure what's going to happen yet myself so we'll have to wait eh?

Troublesome writer: I described it so, making sure that there was no way for anyone to think he was still alive or anything. You know? To make sure. Really? I'm so happy you liked that! I liked putting down a drunken Lee too, still hard but fun to do. Thank you!

ifTheFlameConsumes: I will! Thanks!

The ruby wolf: "grin" Okay, I'll be sure to remember that. Wasn't it Ouran twins rock though? "blink" am I that mistaken? Haha, no problem! Man, you must've had a lot to read when you did notice eh?

Van the Key of Lain: Well, that's what I'm trying to do, driving people insane. "grin" Yeah, I don't know why I made Tenten do that, I really don't!

Amber: I'll see what I can do. Well, I for one love two-sided cliffies… but only when I write them myself. "grin".

Animelover5.6: "grin" it's really weird indeed, but I love how great minds think alike sometimes. Hmmm… Sakura is indeed in a tiny bit of trouble eh? Hahaha, sorry.

LeeLover09: Yeah, I don't know that myself, but I'll be sure to warn you if I do! Promise! Friday? Well, you'll have lots to read then eh? Thanks for the review!!!

**And that's all of them! "grin" finally, my relief from a day in school can begin. Oh, and just to say, when I do finally post the first chapters for other stories, don't worry, I'll still update this every day until it ends. I've grown attached to this ficcie anyways. So keep on reviewing! You guys give me what I need to continue on writing, and that is the wish to please you all, who have been so kind.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Can I kill him now?**_

Sakura gasped slightly as the mud around her tightened drastically, giving her no chance to escape whatsoever. Her self-inflicted wound was stinging terribly and oozing blood, but she didn't care, not now. She hissed angrily as the Uchiha kissed her once more. He had to get away from her, now! Why was she so weak? Why couldn't she do anything to save herself. Did she always have to rely on others like Lee? She gulped. As much as she wanted Lee to come and save her now, she never wanted him to see her in the embarrassing position she was in right now.

Sasuke seemed to stop all of a sudden. He turned his head as if he were listening to something, or someone. Sakura smiled inwardly as she hoped with all her heart for someone. While Sasuke wasn't looking, she tried biting the mud holding her, but as expected, this didn't help much as the mud kept reforming its mass. "Impossible." Sasuke whispered. Sakura had heard him though. What could be so impossible? Was something wrong? She was glad with the interference though. Sasuke all of a sudden grinned. "Its your precious Lee" he said. "But he won't be able to help you since he doesn't want to hurt you." He once more caressed Sakura's cheek. "Now, isn't that a pity?"

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Lee was sprinting trough the forest when he saw it. A flash of pink on the ground. He stopped abruptly and jumped over to the place he had seen the flashy colour. He growled deeply at the sight before him, as his heart jumped in his throat with the vile taste of worry. There she was, laying on the ground, his precious flower. He kneeled next to her and examined her face. He felt her forehead gently with his bandaged hand, his fingers connecting to feel her warmth. It was obvious, and unmistakable. His beloved was trapped in some sort of Genjutsu. Lee's eyes shot to Sakura's left leg, where the deep gash was still bleeding. He frowned and gasped dramatically, quickly ripping off his own bandages to tie them around Sakura's leg.

He was even more worried now. Seeing how no kunai was to be seen anywhere, it seemed that whatever happened in this genjutsu world, also infected Sakura's real body. Lee gulped. Whatever happened. "SASUKE!!!!" he roared in fury and anxiety. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

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Sasuke chuckled. "He's standing right next to your body." He informed Sakura. Sakura noticed how the bleeding of her left leg became far less intense and she smiled slightly, forgetting about her current situation, just for a few seconds. "He's looking for me." Sasuke chuckled. Sakura glared daggers at the Uchiha's back. "He was able to beat you last time!" she yelled at him. "And he will be able to do so again!" Sasuke turned to her in fury, raising his hand, but letting it drop quickly, realizing he couldn't hurt her now. Instead, he just smiled. "My dear Sakura, I'm not going to challenge the eyebrows." He said as if humoured.

Sakura growled at his comment. "I'm going to let him suffer by making you moan." Sakura gulped. She wanted to cry, when suddenly she felt a reassuring softness and sweetness on her lips, as if telling her everything would be alright.

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Lee saw Sakura shiver, small tears filling the corners of her eyes. What was that Uchiha doing to her? He leaned over Sakura's body and softly kissed her. "I will save you." He whispered. He wiped the tears away gently and tried to examine the situation as much as he could, trying to hold back his stress and anxiety as he did. "Let me see…" he said trough gritted teeth while scanning Sakura's body. "Sasuke would never cause pain on Sakura if that meant getting her out of the illusion." He whispered to himself, while checking Sakura's body for other wounds, finding none. "So it seems Sakura has tried to hurt herself, to get out of the illusion."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "She did not succeed." He gulped softly. "Surely, this does not mean, that I…" It was no option. He could never hurt his beloved flower, never.

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"It's as I thought." Sasuke said, smiling triumphantly. "The eyebrows doesn't want to cause you any pain." Sakura growled as the nickname was used once more. "And that means…" Sasuke exclaimed, licking his lips. "I can have my own little way with you my sweet cherry blossom." Sakura's eyes narrowed tremendously. "Don't you call me that!" she spat. "Only Lee can call me that." Sasuke's smile left his face. He stepped closer to Sakura once more, the sky darkened and black. "Whatever then, you slut." He growled. "I will have you either way." He let himself fall on hands and knees, both knees next to her hips, his hands next to her head once more.

Sakura was sure he was going to have his own way with her, when suddenly, her cheek started stinging painfully hard, tears springing to her eyes, her body disappearing from the Uchiha who simply gasped at the sight.

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"What should I do?" Lee moaned to himself, his hands clutching his hair. "Only…Lee" the unconscious Sakura spoke softly, as if she was dreaming. Lee stared at the girl. Why would she say that? Why? Was it a sign perhaps? Lee sighed, knowing he was running out of time once more. He took a deep breath, still not sure if he should even try what he was about to do. What if he was wrong about this? But when he saw how Sakura suddenly gasped strongly, his mind was made up. He raised his hand and brought it down harshly onto Sakura's cheek, vowing he would punish himself severely for this.

But then it happened. Sakura fluttered her eyes open, bringing her hand to her cheek. She slowly sat up and seemed to examine her clothing for some reason. She looked at the bandage around her leg and smiled. Tears were stinging in her eyes. Sakura looked up at Lee, who was sitting next to her, obviously not sure of what to say or do. But when Sakura took her hand down, her cheek painfully red, he threw his arms around the girl, hugging her tightly. "I am so sorry!" he said loudly. "Sakura-chan, I really did not wish to hurt you." Lee told the girl, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. It seemed Lee had hurt himself more then Sakura with the slap he probably gave her.

But Sakura returned the hug, tightening her own arms around Lee. "I'm glad you did, Lee." She sighed. "Otherwise, something…much worse would've happened. I am very grateful to you." Sakura couldn't see it, but she almost felt Lee smile at her words, almost reading his thoughts, telling her, he would protect her forever. She kissed him happily, glad that was over. "Well, isn't this cute?" a voice growled. Sakura immediately reacted and slapped her hand in front of Lee's eyes, directing her own to the ground, focusing on anything that would happen to come near. "Sakura, what…?" Lee wasn't even able to finish his sentence. The poor boy had no idea of what was going on.

"Not falling for my trap a second time, eh Sakura, you tramp?" Sakura smiled triumphantly, but Lee, who had now recognized the voice of Sasuke seemed to be fuming. "How could you call her a…hmph!" Sakura had slapped her other hand in front of Lee's mouth. "Don't" she whispered. She felt Lee nod, and took her hand away. Meanwhile, she had seen two feet approach her. "Don't look at him, look at the ground, watch his feet." She whispered to Lee. "Alright, Sakura-chan." He agreed. "What happened to Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked. Sakura sensed he was only a few inches away from her and backed away slightly only to bump softly into Lee, who wrapped an arm around her.

"He is dead." Lee spoke, almost proudly. Sakura tore her gaze away from the ground to look up at Lee for a moment. His eyes, now directly aimed into hers seemed honest and serious, and even more so seemed to tell Sakura to look back down. Sakura did so. "Dead?" Sasuke chuckled. The chuckling stopped when he too noticed Lee was telling the truth though. "But how did you…how?!" he almost roared. The boy seemed to be completely helpless and lost without his oh so great new sensei.

Sasuke roared in fury and ran off, maybe because he knew he was no match for Lee, or perhaps because he was out of chakra because of using his sharingan for such a long time, but either way, he took off. That is, he did, but not before throwing one last kunai with maddening speed, directly at Sakura, who couldn't help but see the danger too late. Lee had seen it on time though and turned himself and Sakura around in their embrace, the kunai digging its way into Lee's back, the boy falling to the ground only mere seconds later, Sakura falling to her knees beside him, crying and asking him why, while knowing damn straight why, and Sasuke disappearing into the distance, not even sure if he had hit his target or not, just a scraed, helpless boy right now, not even sure of the damage he had done.

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And stop. NO!!!! This is not the ending. Hahaha, since many… well… all of you requested a happy ending, this couldn't possibly be the last chapter, now could it? And Lee isn't dead, just mortally wounded. Man, this chapter was hard to write, with Sakura actually being in two places at once, and certain actions overlapping, it was not easy! But I tried my best and am fairly happy with it.

Please review!!!


	27. Be with me tonight

Hello! Cheers for another chapter! Yeah, this story still comes First, before the others The other stories won't have this many chapters either. Hmm… to answer my reviewers now!

Troublesome writer: OMG! You're right! I didn't think of that…Sakura's a medic. Thanks for pointing that out in time for me. Argh, I'm so stupid. Yeah, I wanted to spice things up by making Lee do that. He had no choice really, but still… You're right, he does deserve punishment. Well, we'll just have to see, won't we?

Animelover5.6: I know, I don't understand why but I like hurting my favourites! Meanie me, I guess…he'll be okay, don't worry.

Panther eyes: Hahaha, good point there!

Darth Cooper: It was? Aaaw, I'm glad you think so!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Hi you! I love him like that too! It's so cool and dramatic at the same time since the lotus for example is a double edged sword. Yeah, he came just in time…again. But wait for his reaction when he finds out what Sasuke tried to do. "grin" oh no, Did I spill a secret?

ifTheFlameConsumes: Just to tell you, I love your name. aaw, don't cry though. It'll be alright! There, there.

**There, let's get this show on the road now! Hmm, it's Wednesday so perhaps I can update everything today. It's a good goal isn't it? Let's go for it!!! (dramatic Gai-pose)**

**On with it!!!**

**_Be with me tonight._**

Lee was conscious, but only barely. He seemed to be losing a lot of his blood. Sakura wouldn't cry though, not yet! Because Lee was going to be alright, he was going to be just fine. Sakura was going to prove exactly what she was worth! She let her hands float mere inches away from the gash in Lee's back. First, she got rid of the kunai as careful as possible, still making the poor boy yelp a little with a voice that sounded exhausted. Sakura flinched, she didn't want to hurt him. She threw away the kunai and made her hands glow blue.

Even if she was low on chakra because of her wound and because of the events that had occurred these last minutes, she would help Lee. She had to, and she would. Lee's eyes shot open widely as soon as he felt his wound heal. "Sakura…no!" he muttered loudly. He knew she was low on chakra now. Sakura ignored him though. She would not listen to him. "Sakura-chan, please…" Lee slowly turned his head ever so slightly, to look at her. His pleading voice brought tears to Sakura's eyes. "Stay still." She whispered, but Lee didn't seem to want to listen either.

He twisted his body slightly, Sakura not giving in and only twisting with him to continue on healing the gash. She was focusing so much, she was shocked when she suddenly felt how Lee's now unbandaged hand wiped away her tears. "Please do not do this, if it wears you out." Lee said softly, repeating what he had said when she first healed him. Sakura's tears kept on coming. Why was he so sweet? So gentle? Why couldn't he just let her do her job?

The wound was almost completely healed. She smiled, knowing Lee was going to be alright. "Sakura, stop!" Lee said a bit louder and more anxious this time. Sakura guessed the colour was leaving her face, paling her skin, and worrying Lee. She looked away for a split second to look into Lee's eyes. The boy was gritting his teeth, trying to move away, wanting Sakura to stop, but she wouldn't have it. "Lee, I'm almost done, please, don't make this harder then it is." Lee let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

He was making this harder for her? He laid himself back the way he had laid there before. "You are too stubborn for your own good, do you know that?" Lee asked, still worried. "Why must you insist on risking your life for me?" The words hurt. Saying them as if they were truth, as if it was to happen, it hurt. "Because I love you." Came Sakura's soft, soothing reply. She lifted her hands again and patted Lee on the back. "All done" she said, smiling at him. Lee rolled over and stretched out his arms to sit himself up right.

Sakura looked positively ghastly. She was whiter then as sheet and her lips seemed almost blue. "Now, all you need is some rest." Sakura said, still acting like a doctor. Lee got up slowly. He put his right arm around Sakura and lifted her up with his left. Sakura seemed to try and object. "Lee, put me down, I can walk." She said very softly. The softness and weariness in her voice pained Lee. He was sure the sound would haunt him in his nightmares, and he deserved it too, letting her heal him when in her condition. "You have no choice Sakura-chan." Lee said strongly. "You must rest, now." Lee calmly walked home.

They met very few people on their way home, and none of them were familiar. They all seemed to think that Lee and Sakura were just being cute, never even noticing the look in Lee's eyes. The one that seemed to scream worry and pain. Sakura had seen it though. She lifted her hand and stroked Lee's face. He simply looked down, into her eyes, and Sakura was satisfied to find the loving gaze he had shown her so many times before. "I love you Lee." Sakura stated simply, she lifted her head a bit and softly kissed Lee's cheek. The warmth she felt in his arms was so right, and so comfortable, she could always stay there.

Too bad for her, the door to his house was soon revealed. As Lee juggled with his keys, Sakura put her feet back onto the ground. Perhaps she had indeed wasted her chakra, but she was still able to stand at least. When Lee had opened the door, Sakura simply walked in. She liked to be in Lee's soft, strong arms yes, but she didn't want him to patronize her. "Thank you for saving me." Sakura suddenly said. Lee blinked. "Well, no problem at all Sakura." He found it only natural that he came to save her.

"Was your mission over that soon already?" Sakura asked curiously. Lee hadn't been gone for long at all. Lee's eyes filled themselves with sadness. "Yes, the mission is over, but Gai-sensei has been hurt." Sakura pulled him in a comforting embrace. She thought about what had happened today, when a thought struck her. "Lee, did you really kill Orochimaru?" she asked. Lee seemed to blush for some reason. Sakura simply frowned at this. "Yes, I have, you need not worry about him anymore." Sakura cocked her head to the right, amazed by Lee's strength. "Are you sure?" she asked. She knew how tricky Orochimaru could be. Lee simply laughed. "I am very sure that he is dead, Sakura-chan." Lee answered. He thought he'd best spare her the details.

They walked to the bedroom and Lee gently persuaded Sakura to lie down. She pouted slightly, not letting go of Lee's hand. "You need your rest Sakura-chan." Lee said comforting. He didn't want to leave her, he really didn't, but it was for the best. "At least after what Sasuke…er… what did he do Sakura-chan?" Sasuke looked away in shame, a red blush shining on her cheeks. Lee's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He did not." he growled. Sakura just nodded. "He tried his best" Sakura said. "I fought him off to my best abilities though." She hoped this would calm Lee down a bit but it didn't. "You fought him and he simply kept on going?!" His voice was loud and Sakura seemed to be frightened by it.

She hid underneath the covers and Lee sighed. He stroked her pink hair, and kissed her forehead. "I will kill him this time, Sakura-chan, that is what we had agreed on." Sakura knew this was true and dared not say otherwise. "But I cannot leave you alone now, can I?" Lee said, his worry taking over his anger. "I will go chase after him tomorrow. I promise you this Sakura-chan." Sakura smiled. The boy was so worried for her, it made her heart sing. She had still been holding onto his hand and now pulled Lee with her, in the bed. She leaned in and kissed him.

Her hands ran from Lee's cheeks down to his body. He felt so good and firm. She crawled on top of him and felt for the zipper of his jumpsuit but Lee grabbed hold of her hands. Sakura stopped and looked at him in confusion. "As much as I want this right now Sakura-chan, and I do, believe me…" Lee took a deep breath, signalling he was doing his best to control himself. "You need your rest right now. Perhaps you would not mind if we postponed this?" Sakura pouted. She wanted him, and she wanted him now. But Lee was right, she felt weary and weak right now, hardly able to move a lot at all. Sakura didn't get off of him yet though. She leaned in, closer to his ear and whispered, her hot breath caressing Lee's cheek: "Promise me, tomorrow." Lee swallowed.

"Alright Sakura-chan, I promise." Sakura got off of him, satisfied and almost immediately fell asleep. Lee tiptoed out of the room and then ran as fast as he could to the bathroom where he turned on the cold water and jumped in the shower, clothes and all. His mind was racing. He couldn't do this, could he? He had no experience whatsoever. What if he couldn't satisfy his flower? The cold water wasn't really able to release him from the heat he felt course trough his body. He had promised his flower, hadn't he? And he wanted this too. He had wanted it ever since they had been together, and way before, but he dared not lay a finger on her without her permission. So, now that he had gotten it, he could finally commit this act of love.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. But how was he going to handle this? He would just have to ask Neji in the morning, and perhaps Gai-sensei, if he was already capable of speaking. Either way, he would have to visit him tomorrow. Hmmm, maybe he could ask Tenten. Yes, wouldn't that be a good idea? Lee didn't realize that through this new development, he had forgotten all about Sasuke. The revenge he so badly wanted to carry out, could wait. After all, he would finally be able to claim his flower as his own. He turned off the cold water and rid himself of his now wet clothing. Yes, tomorrow was going to be great and simply perfect.

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Don't shoot me, people! This development had to happen someday. It had to! And it was requested by a few people, and how could I deny a request?! Please do review and tell me what to think. Ah! There are too many things happening at once! "freaks out"


	28. Questions!

Well hello guys! I've got some pretty funny reviews, and I want to answer them immediately, so here goes!!!

Animelover5.6: Well, they are teenagers after all, and since they are going out, no, engaged, it was bound to happen!

ifTheFlameConsumes: Ahahaha, different eh? Well, yeah, sorry if you didn't like it that much.

Van the Key of Lain: Can I ask you, how you got your name? Don't worry, you have a very nice… er… inner you. Ha-ha, Lee is still human you know? A human boy with natural cravings. I hope I can give you what you want.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Ha-ha, chicken out? I never even thought of that! But that would result in some very unhappy readers so no, that's not what's going to happen.

Darth Cooper: Don't worry, I loved the phrase! It's funny Haha, how? Well, I'm still worrying about that myself. Aaaw, you can glomp Lee, I'll keep Sakura at bay for a few seconds.

The ruby wolf: "grin" You didn't seem to have enjoyed it so much, sorry.

Panther eyes: Hahaha someone else just sent me a review telling me she could deal with the jumpsuit but not the hair and eyebrows! It was so funny for me. As for me, I love everything about Lee, and especially his good guy poses, they're so cute! Telling him not to do them anymore would make him sad.

Troublesome writer: "grin" someone told me she hated the jumpsuit but didn't mind the eyebrows and haircut in a review. You guys make me laugh so much! I'm jealous too. I can't wait for the reactions either. "grin" you know me. Er… "feels stupid" what's an er…. Lemon?

The16thDay: I'm glad you liked it, I really am. Well, here is the update, quick as always.

**And that was that. Argh, writing this next chapter is making me feel anxious, I wonder if I'll be able to do it. Well, here goes nothing I suppose.**

**On with it!!!**

**_Questions!_**

Lee got up early, very early. The moon was still out, the streetlights giving the outside an orange and mysterious feel. The streets and paths were glistening because of the rain that had fell this night, the stars' light adding to the beautiful scenery. A gentle gust of wind blew Lee's hair gently out of his face. He breathed in, smiling and closing his eyes to enjoy the scent of the night. The cold didn't even matter right now. Lee looked over at his destination, a grim expression suddenly appearing on his face. He was about to go see his sensei.

Yes, he in fact did know that the hospital probably wouldn't be open to visitors at 3.00 a.m. but he would find a way to enter. He walked slowly but surely thinking about his plan of action. One thing he knew for sure, and that was that his sensei was wide awake right now. The truth was that Gai normally got up at this hour every day to train and enjoy his youthfulness. He had told Lee not to because he was still a growing boy that needed his rest. Lee, knowing that his sensei was always right, had pouted a little but accepted the explanation nonetheless.

He finally reached his destination and casually walked trough the hospital doors. What happened next, he did not expect. "Lee, I'm glad you're here!" a very distressed Tsunade yelled at the boy. Lee had no idea what was going on, but of course could never deny a woman his help when he was needed. So, he bravely stepped forward, the brave twinkle glancing in his eyes. "What can I help you with Tsunade-sama?" he asked. Tsunade grasped the boy by his shoulders with such force, she made him stumble backwards a bit. "Lee, you have got to talk some sense into Gai, right now!"

Lee blinked. He didn't know how to feel right now, utterly confused or happy because he could just go see Gai-sensei like that? He thought it would be wise to inform himself further on the matter at hand. "Why is that necessary Tsunade-sama?" he asked, almost scared because the woman started to grow more and more furious for some reason. "He keeps trying to leave whenever we aren't looking!" she screamed, completely outraged. "He says it's time to go train!" Lee blinked. "Well… it is Tsunade-sama." He responded, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Tsunade growled. "If he overdoes it, he could get himself killed, his bleeding hasn't even stopped yet, and his freakin' bones are cracked!!!" Lee kind of expected Tsunade to hit him while she said that, but lucky for him, the fifth hokage did not. "What can I do for you then?" Lee asked, finally understanding the problem. Tsunade seemed to calm down a bit at this. "Stay with him tonight, and don't let him leave." She stated. "Keep him busy if you have to." Lee smiled. "If that is necessary, I will do it, Tsunade-sama." Lee said sweetly, a grin appearing on his face. Yes, mission complete! Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the grin suddenly appearing on Lee's face but paid no mind to it seeing how she had much more urgent tasks at hand.

"I'm counting on you, Lee." She said "Gai is in room 216" Lee nodded and watched as Tsunade turned on her heels and quickly walked off, her hair swaying a bit behind her. Room 216, Lee only guessed it was on the second floor. He took the stairs, never having cared much for elevators, and quickly arrived at his destination. He then went around, searching for room 216. That too had been found rather quickly and Lee was fairly proud of himself. When he entered the room though, he was already mentally slapping himself for being so slow. "Gai-sensei, get away from that window!" he screeched in all his youthful splendour. Gai, who had half crawled out of the window pulled his head back to find his number one student standing there.

"Lee!" he said with much pleasure and tried stepping towards the boy, only resulting in him not being able to support himself and landing flat on his face. Lee could only guess how long it had taken him to reach the window. He sat down beside his sensei and pulled him up carefully, dragging him back to his bed, while Gai kept protesting. Lee wouldn't have it though. "Lee, I'm already late for training" he said. "I know sensei." Lee said. "But I will not allow you to leave when hurt!" Gai held back the urge to glare at Lee and gave him a shaky, half-hearted nice guy pose instead. "Wonderful how you're looking out for me, Lee!" he said with pride. "You truly are a wonderful student."

Lee smiled at Gai with big, shiny teeth and sat down, next to Gai's bed. "So, you defeated Orochimaru." Gai started. Lee looked at him, a little bit surprised. Everyone seemed to only care about that. It was not like he had beaten Akatsuki or something. Orochimaru was only a small and abandoned part of all the evils, so how was it that spectacular? "Yes, I did Gai-sensei." Lee said, not a single expression readable on his face. "And you did it while using the drunken fist!" sounded Gai's booming voice, now louder then ever. Lee smiled proudly. So, that's what his sensei was so excited about.

"Yes, I did Gai-sensei!" he said in a voice matching his sensei's loudness. "I knew you could do it, Lee!" A very shaky thumbs up was nearly pushed up in Lee's nose. Gai's face grew serious all of a sudden. "And, what of Sasuke… is Sakura alright?" Lee sighed heavily. "Sakura was nearly raped, Gai-sensei, by that traitor." Gai gave him a serious look. "Nearly?" he asked, urging Lee to carry on. "I managed to save her just in time." Lee said. "Good, Lee, then why are you so gloomy right now?" Lee didn't tell Gai that he was feeling guilty that it ever could happen, and that he was feeling stupid for not having realized it sooner. He didn't tell Gai how he felt great sadness at knowing how much Sakura had been forced to struggle. No, he said nothing, for the man had his own problems to deal with right now. Instead, he just decided to cut to the chase and ask the question he had wanted to ask since he had gotten up this morning.

"No matter Gai-sensei, but what I wanted to ask you is…er…" Well, he tried to ask the question but was a bit embarrassed about it. "Go ahead Lee, ask me anything you'd like!" Gai urged, not knowing what was about to hit him. "Well, sir, it is about er… Sakura, she er…wants to… 'cough'" Gai raised a question. "What was that last part you hid in a cough, Lee?" he asked. Since when was his student embarrassed to ask anything of him? Lee gulped. "She wants for me and her to experience the feeling of the ultimate togetherness, an expression of our love, presented trough actions that are so great, no words need be involved." Lee dared not look his sensei in the eye. He had tried his best to formulate his question, and now he had to wait for an answer.

Gai, having known his prized student for years now, understood what he was saying immediately. "Oh" was his clever reply. He almost dared not ask his next question, but he had to. "And what is your question then, Lee?" Lee's cheeks began to redden deeply and he couldn't help but stare at his shoes. "I do not really know…how to satisfy her expectations." He mumbled. "I was wondering if you could give me some advice Gai-sensei." It was then, Lee's hopeful eyes met Gai's dazed ones. "Lee, you silly boy!" Gai said in a weird kind of cheeriness. "She expects you to be you and to satisfy her in your own youthful way!" Lee frowned. That was kind of an awkward reply. It wouldn't do him much good, but he knew he couldn't get anything else out of his sensei.

He decided he would rather ask someone of his own age, seeing how they would perhaps know a bit more of the present… trends if you will. Yes, he would ask Neji! A jounin of his calibre, genius and beauty must know something that will help him, right? He didn't leave the hospital yet though, he needed to look after his sensei, make sure he wouldn't run off, or try to run off for that matter. And so, they stayed chitchatting about the youthfulness off things until at 6.00 a.m. Gai finally fell asleep. Lee knew that if he did, he was very tired, and would not wake up for hours. He knew it was safe to leave because of that and decided to exit the hospital. The white of the walls was already hurting his eyes.

Though he was pleased that Gai was kind of alright at the moment, he was not completely happy with the answer his sensei had given him. He immediately went to visit his own eternal rival to clear more problems and questions haunting him at the moment. He stopped at the Hyuuga gate and knocked loud and hard, minding that he shouldn't break it down if he wanted any answers today. Eventually, a shy girl, wiping her tired eyes, opened the gates, hiding herself partly behind it.

"Good morning Hinata-san" Lee greeted, courteously bowing to the now blushing girl. "H-Hi Lee-san." Hinata greeted back in her own shy voice. Lee smiled encouragingly at her. He wanted her to be able to feel comfortable, but hadn't succeeded in making her feel that way so far. Oh well, he could only try his best. "Forgive me for intruding so early on Hinata-san." He said in his own cheerful, reassuring voice. "But I am in desperate need of conversing with your dear cousin, being my dear rival, Neji-kun." Hinata blinked at the strange perkiness the ninja before her possessed so early on, but smiled when he gave her a shiny smile of his own.

"I think Neji-sama is still asleep, Lee-san." Hinata said, apologizing. "Would you like me to wake him up for you?" Lee put out his hand as if wanting to stop her and shook his head. "If you would allow me to, Hinata-san, I would not wish for Neji-kun to yell at you for waking him up so I would like to go wake him myself." Hinata seemed to think his words over carefully. "I promise I will not do anything to harm anyone or anything while staying here." Hinata smiled. She knew the boy was reliable enough. "W-Well, a-alright then." She said, stuttering sweetly.

She opened the door a bit farther to allow Lee in, and led him to Neji's chambers. "T-this is h-his r-room." She stuttered. "Thank you kindly Hinata-san." Lee said kindly. "I appreciate this greatly." He bowed a little to the blushing girl before turning to the door and knocking it. All he heard was a low, harsh grunt and the sound of someone turning over. He knocked again and heard how something hard slammed against the door. Still, no one opened it though. When he knocked a third time, he was simply ignored and thought this was the best moment to come in. He had knocked after all.

He opened the door slightly and found a scattered alarm clock lying sadly blinking at his feet. He shook his head at the display of cruel violence and approached the bed in the room a bit more. "If you don't want to die, leave." Spoke a low, tired voice. "But Neji, my esteemed rival, I need to ask you a question!" Neji jumped up at hearing the voice of the person he had least expected to have entered his chambers. "What are you dong here, Lee?!" asked a very angry Neji, throwing his pillow at the lack of an alarm clock. Lee caught the pillow and laughed a bit at catching his rival off guard.

"Do forgive me, Neji, but I must ask something important of you." Neji decided to listen, since his curiosity had won him over. Lee handed the pillow back to Neji and took a deep breath, as if preparing to jump into a river from a very high cliff. "If you're going to wait for another hour to come out with it, come back in an hour." Neji growled. Lee smiled nervously, and Neji just frowned at him. What was up with the boy? "Alright, I'll say it." Lee said dramatically. "How do you please a woman in bed?" He asked a bit too loud to Neji's pleasing. But the shock was what really took him over right now. "What did you just ask me?!" he uttered.

"Please, do not make me repeat myself." Lee groaned pleadingly. Neji inspected Lee for a few more seconds, as if trying to find out if he was pulling some kind of prank. When he found he wasn't, he sighed and swung his legs out of his bed. "Lee, if you must have an answer…" Lee looked up at him with big eyes. "…You must ask the girl herself. Each girl wants different things, you know?" Lee gaped at him with his mouth half open. Sure, the answer was genius, and he probably could know this was true for with his beauty he must've mesmerized tons of girls so far, but what good did it do Lee?

"You mean this?" Lee asked. Neji looked at him, almost with pity in his eyes. "Yes, Lee, it's just how it is, ask Tenten if you don't believe me." Neji placed himself back onto his snugly pillow. "And let me sleep for the love of God!" Lee sighed. Well… at least he learned something valuable, but it was not going to help him tonight, not ever even, if it depended on him. He excited Neji's door, finding a very flustered Hinata outside. "Oh, Hinata-san, I am so sorry, I did not know you could hear us." Lee apologized. "Please forgive me for being so impolite." It seemed Hinata didn't know what to say, instead, she ran off.

Lee sighed. Oh well, he'd make it up to her later, right now, he had a much more urgent mission, to go and find Tenten! The sun was out already, and the lights were out. No more lights sparkled on the streets and the scent of night was gone, but Lee didn't let it get to him. He liked the scenery of the pine trees swaying in the wind, small hints of snow glistening in the sunlight a nice alternative too. And soon, he bumped into Tenten's house. He took a deep breath. This was going to be the hardest part, to ask a girl herself.

He rang the doorbell with one of his long fingers, only to suddenly hear a very loud yelling. Even though he didn't make out the words, he was sure the words were directed at him. Nonetheless, he waited patiently for his female team-mate to open the door. When she did, he was almost blown back by the force of her loud words, being aimed at him. "Lee, what in the world are you thinking?! Showing up here at this godforsaken hour! How dare you?!!!" A few people passing by glanced at her curiously and amused. Tenten blushed in response and dragged a nearly deaf Lee inside.

"This better be good." She said, tapping her foot. Her hair was loose and she was wearing a cute, pink nightgown. She probably had still been asleep, and Lee felt a little bit guilty, but this was really important. "Neji sent me." He started, trying to take a bit of the blame off of his own shoulders. Tenten sighed and urged him to go on. "Yes, for what?" Lee coughed. "For my, erm… question." Tenten eyed him curiously. A question! And one that Lee had a hard time asking too, now that was interesting. It'd probably result in some good gossip for her as well. Poor Lee didn't know what he was getting himself into.

"Could you tell me Tenten, please, what a girl likes when enjoying the game of love with the boy she loves?" Tenten gasped and took a few steps back. Lee had dared ask her that? "Lee, am I understanding you correctly?" Lee nodded shyly and a bit sad. It seemed Tenten was not going to answer him, seeing how bothered she looked by the question. Tenten caught the sad look in his eyes and decided to help him. "I'll help you Lee, on one condition!" Lee looked up at her with happiness shining in his dark eyes. "Anything, Tenten!" he said hopefully. "Don't tell anyone I'm the one giving you this advice." She said warningly.

Lee nodded understandingly. Tenten came closer and whispered stuff into his ear, Lee's cheeks reddening with each word, his eyes looking at every corner in the room while his trail of thoughts went everywhere. This was good, this was very good. Sakura was going to have the time of her life!

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Well, this is a very long chapter. Enjoy, you guys. "sigh" It took me long enough. Oh, and don't forget to review!!! Thank you!!!


	29. The big moment

Oh man, you guys don't really want me to tell you what Tenten said eh? I can't do that! But I'll describe how her advice is put into action, alright? But first, to answer my reviewers.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Of course he is cute! We all know that

Animelover5.6: Well yeah, lightening up the mood a bit eh? And that sentence was so hard to write! I'm proud of the result though, I'm glad it made you laugh.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Heh, Tenten already said it, well, more like whispered it, but still… Yes, Lee is cute as always.

The16thDay: "grin" I'm glad it did. Thank you, I'll do my best.

Gothic Saku-chan: Well… yeah, you'll… see, I guess. "grin"

Troublesome writer: Oh, thank you, haha! Well, how about this, I won't reveal what Tenten said… yet! I'm so evil. Well yeah, I figured Lee would be extremely shy in asking that question so that's the way I put him down. And Neji just seems like a very grumpy person to me. Thank you!!!

Van the Key of Lain: Thank you for the explanation. I loved the name so I really wanted to know! Well, here it is, 29!

Panther eyes: Well… no. Gai is not Lee's father. Rumour has it that Lee's parents really were killed and that he lives alone. Gai is his idol since the man came up to him one day, planting all these wonderful words in his head. Lee even thought Gai was weird at first, but quickly became just as weird in a cuter way. Well… there are some things all, or most girls like, aren't there? "giggles.3

**And that's all of them. Alright, this chapter is the big moment. I hope I do alright. "gulps nervously". Okay, now to take a plunge in the deep!**

**On with it!!!**

_**The big moment!!!**_

Lee whistled happily while walking over to the flower shop that Ino's parents owned. He giggled to himself as he thought about the fights the girl always seemed to have with Sakura, while truly, they were the best of friends. He still remembered, the first time he had heard Ino call Sakura that ridiculous nickname 'billboard brow'. He had been astounded as to how someone could possibly give his most beautiful cherry blossom such a horrid name. He had even started yelling at Ino, the girl slightly backing away in fear until Sakura had whacked him over the head, apologizing thoroughly to Ino.

Lee had later on apologized to Ino as well, as soon as he had understood the situation between the two girls. Ino had accepted his apology and since then, they had been friends as well. Maybe not the closest friends but friends. He arrived and entered the shop, immediately finding the blond girl arranging some lilies. "Hello, Ino-san!" Lee greeted happily. Ino looked over to find the boy with bushy eyebrows himself, standing there. "Hello Lee-san!" she responded in an equally cheery voice. "How is Sakura?" she asked dangerously, winking not to subtly at Lee. Lee averted his eyes to some flowers, trying to hide his blushing cheeks. "She is fine." Lee said. "She is resting right now." Ino stared at him suspiciously. "Why are you blushing?" she asked.

It was then she clasped her hands in front of her mouth. "You mean she's resting after you two had some hot, steamy…" "NO!" Lee practically roared at her. His face was as red as a strawberry, making Ino giggle. She poked Lee, teasing him and stuck out her tongue. "Don't worry, I believe you." Lee coughed. "Anyways, I'm looking for some flowers." Ino pouted, perhaps because she wanted to get more information, or perhaps because she didn't want to go back to work. Nonetheless, she pouted.

She quickly regained her posture though. "What are you looking for, specifically?" Lee stared at her. "I need to know that?" he asked dramatically. Ino laughed at him. "Alight, alright, I'll help you." She said smiling sweetly. "Thank you very much, Ino-san." Lee said, bowing cutely. "What's the occasion?" Ino asked, stroking some red roses with her index finger. When Lee didn't answer she turned around to look at him and find him even redder then he had been a few minutes ago. "Lee…" Ino gasped, not being a stupid girl at all. "Are you guys going to do it?" she asked. Lee gasped in shock. "Don't call it that!" he said, his voice strangely high all of a sudden. Ino giggled. How cute the boy could be. She wasn't even sure if he could pull it off with him being so very shy and all.

"Sakura, what have you gotten yourself into?" she whispered to herself. "To tell you the truth Lee…" she said, turning herself towards the boy. "There aren't really any flowers for this kind of occasion, but…" Lee looked hopefully at Ino as she waved lazily at a type of flowers. Lee looked to find it were the lilies Ino had been so occupied with earlier on. "Lilies?" he asked strangely. "Those flowers have hardly any message but sheer romance." Ino said in a very high pitched voice as if squealing. Lee just listened nervously. "And, Sakura likes them too." She said, waving a lily seductively in front of Lee's face. "Are you sure?" Lee asked hopefully.

Ino snorted. "Am I sure…" she mumbled. "Of course I'm sure!" she stated loudly. "Now, how many do you want?" she asked, not even giving the boy a choice anymore. "Er…10?" Lee asked nervously. "Okay, that's 20." Ino said softly, picking out the best looking lilies. "But, Ino-san!" Lee protested. "Don't worry Lee-san." Ino said, smiling. "The other 10 are on the house." She didn't mind giving the sweet boy a little extra every now and then, he had helped her many times as well, after all. Suddenly, Lee's teary face appeared right in front of Ino. "Thank you so much!" Lee said, grinning happily. Ino smiled, while beginning to wrap the flowers.

She carefully tied a pretty red bow around the white lilies and handed them over to Lee, who paid what Ino asked. "Now, go and get her, tiger." Ino said, growling playfully. Lee hurried out of the store, he could really miss this right now. "Thank you, come again!" Ino's cheerful voice sounded as Lee seemed to trip over his own feet. What was wrong with him?! He decided to just stumble home. He got home without too much trouble and was happy for that. He put his key in the lock and opened the door, immediately met with a faint barking, nearing him every second. Lee quickly closed the door and ducked to catch the golden fur ball, flying towards him.

"Hello Akemi" he greeted the dog, stroking it adoringly. "You should really teach it some manners." Came a tired voice from the bedroom doorframe. Lee looked up to find his adorable cherry blossom yawning heavily. "It woke me up with its barking." Lee looked from Akemi to Sakura, his eyes becoming more and more pleading. "Sakura-chan, I cannot yell at a tiny puppy!" he said nervously. Sakura smiled and came over to him in a rather seductive way, or at least, that's what Lee thought.

"You don't have to, Lee-kun." She said, yawning one last time before kissing him, her right hand stroking his soft, silky hair. "When did you get up?" Sakura asked, noticing Lee seemed to be more awake then ever, if that was even possible. "3.00 o-clock." Lee said proudly. Sakura shook her head thoughtfully while pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "What did you do that for?" Sakura asked. "To visit Gai-sensei of course." Lee said matter of factly. Sakura leaned against the counter, her left arm around her waist, her right hand balancing the glass of orange juice.

"What did you talk about?" Sakura asked, sipping her glass cutely. Lee gulped nervously. "Er…stuff." Lee answered. Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "Is that right?" she asked. "Yes, it is!" Lee said frantically. Sakura just laughed at him. She was so happy to have him. Akemi jumped up at her and she put down her glass to pick up the dog and hold it up in the air. "You're a cutie aren't you?" she asked in a baby voice. She then brought the dog to her chest to pat it. "Aaaw, Sakura…" Lee moaned. Sakura looked up. "What is it?" she asked, surprised about his sudden sulking. "Akemi is making me jealous." He said. Sakura blinked.

She put down the dog and swung her arms around Lee's neck, drawing him closer. "You don't need to be jealous." She whispered and kissed Lee, who accepted happily. And this was what reminded him. "Oh, Sakura-chan, I brought you some flowers." Lee said, pointing at the lilies he had laid on the ground to welcome Akemi. "Aaaw, how sweet of you!" Sakura cooed. She picked up the flowers and smelled them, inhaling their scent. Meanwhile, Lee was mentally slapping himself. Why was it, that everything Sakura did, turned him on now?

"I'm going to take a shower." Sakura said, after putting the flowers in water. "Thanks again, Lee." And she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, heading to the bathroom, giggling for some reason. "I will not peep!" Lee told himself. "I will not! If I do, I will run 1000 laps around konoha on my hands!" knowing himself well, and seeing how even he wouldn't be able to do that, he didn't peek. He suddenly heard how Sakura started to sing. She truly had an angelic voice, but he already knew that.

He smashed himself on the head with a pillow. "I am not going to peek!" he told Akemi. "I am not! It is most improper." Akemi jumped up the couch and snuggled up beside Lee. Lee sat there, stroking the dog, trying to keep himself from exploding, or that's what he felt would happen if his excitement built up anymore. And finally, the water stopped running, and Sakura stopped humming. Sakura excited after a while, a towel wrapped around her thin waist. Was she trying to be seductive, standing there like that, grinning?

Damn woman and their impact on men! She walked a bit closer to Lee who was sitting on the couch. "Hey, Lee-kun?" she asked softly. Lee gulped as the dripping wet Sakura suddenly stood there, bent over so their faces were at the same height. "W-What Sakura-chan?" Lee asked nervously. Sakura sat herself on Lee's lap, her fingers twirling his hair. "Do you remember what you promised me last night?" Lee saw how a faint blush crept up to Sakura's cheeks but knew that he looked far worse by now.

"Er… Perhaps, you could tell me again?" Lee asked sweetly, acting as if he hadn't tried all morning to find information on how to please the girl now sitting on his lap. "Well…" Sakura whispered while reaching for the zipper on Lee's jumpsuit. "You promised me that today, we'd do…_ it_" Lee gulped and shivered a bit as he felt Sakura's hands trace his skin. She had slowly started to unzip his beloved jumpsuit, but suddenly, she stopped.

"Don't you want to, Lee-kun?" Sakura asked a bit unsure, having felt the shiver go down Lee's spine. Lee looked her in the eye, the lust in his gaze unmistakable. "You have no idea, how much, Sakura-chan." He whispered. Something, he very rarely did. He picked up Sakura who giggled a bit, as his strong arms carried her to the bedroom. Not paying attention to the mess she had made off the bed, he gently placed her on top of it, then crawled onto her.

**Warning!!! Warning!!! Sex-scene starts here!!!! "cough"**

Sakura now continued to slowly undress Lee and rid him of the green jumpsuit that was barely able to hide his well formed muscles. Her hands went down his well curved back as she now got rid of the bottom part as well. Lee didn't have that much difficulty. He simply got rid of the towel wrapped tightly around Sakura's waist. Revealed to hom was the most beautiful body he was sure to ever witness in his life. The drops of water still running down her curves made her all the more sexy and tasty. He licked his lips and kissed Sakura in her neck, his hands softly stroking her sides.

Sakura let her hands trace Lee's muscled chest and arms, amazed at the killer body the man truly possessed. She nibbled a bit in Lee's neck, satisfied with the moan she received after. Lee's kisses started to go lower and lower until her reached her chest. His hands went up and stroked her well rounded breasts, his teeth softly catching a pink nipple, his tong twirling around it. Sakura moaned as she softly dug her nails a little bit into Lee's back. Lee didn't even wince. He let his right hand grab Sakura's vacant breast softly and stroked the nipple with his thumb enjoying the moans escaping her mouth frequently now.

He placed himself between Sakura's legs now, his lips kissing hers once more. He felt himself harden as Sakura felt little tingles of pleasure course trough her unprotected lower area. Goosebumps of pleasure covered her skin as she wrapped her legs around Lee's waist. And then it happened? Lee looked Sakura seductively in the eye, both having their share of lust filling their eyes, and he entered her with one teasingly slow, and long thrust. Both Lee and Sakura started moaning loudly and Lee started pumping in and out of Sakura while she encouraged him by pushing him in farther with her legs, her hands firmly holding on to his back.

Lee started to thrust faster and faster. The moans Sakura let him enjoy more and more often turned him on even more. Sakura clenched her eyes shut in utter pleasure and Lee grinned at the reaction he had wanted her to have. Now, only a little bit farther… Lee went for it, even faster then before, Sakura moaning loudly. He was sure she could be heard in the neighbour's house, but he didn't care, for he was moaning as loud as she was. And then, suddenly, Sakura opened her eyes wide, as if in a state of blissful shock and screamed out in delight as her hands were clenched into very tight fists. Lee felt her walls collide around his person, the strange massage stimulating the strong feeling of building tension even more, until he finally felt himself explode into Sakura, the girl of his dreams. Sakura gasped at this, her body once more reacting to Lee's.

Lee smiled and moved his lips across Sakura's body once more, finally planting a passionate kiss on her lips. This had been perfect.

**End of the cruel scene, you can all watch now!!!**

Sakura was gasping for breath, as Lee rolled off of her, laying still beside her. "Lee-kun, that was so good!" Sakura heaved, still enjoying the experience. Lee smirked at her. "It was not bad for me either" he said in a long exhale. Sakura twirled her fingers over Lee's chest, finally putting her head on his chest. "How did you get such an expert at this?" she sighed. "Simple!" Lee started, being in a state of euphoria. "I asked for advice." Sakura looked up at him in shock. "What? From whom?" Lee, not noticing the upcoming danger stroked her silky pink hair. "Gai-sensei, Neji and Tenten." He explained.

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Haha! It happened, it happened! Don't be mad at me people! I'm sorry!!!! "grin" or, I'm not. I hope you enjoyed it and weren't grossed out! Either way, please do review!


	30. You what!

I was so scared the reviews I'd receive for the last chapter would be all flames, but, they weren't! Thank you guys so much, I'm happy you still liked it. Okay, now, to answer your sweet reviews eh?

Animelover5.6: I understand completely. "grin" this story is rated M for a reason, you know? I thought I'd have to add that in some day, and for a very good reason, but you'll find out. Thanks for reading!

Troublesome writer: Yup, chapter 30! I'm so proud! Well, of course Sakura is expecting now! With what, I won't tell you yet, but let's just say I already wrote and drew down what I have in mind. Yeah, I can't be over descriptive with that sort of thing, you know? "grin" so yeah. The warning was requested so I had to put it there, but I would've done it anyways. Glad you liked it!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Hahaha, too immature? How old are you? It was hard for me to write but I pulled it off!!! Of course they're sweet, as always!!!

The16thDay: Yup, blissful indeed. Thank you for the compliment!

Van the Key of Lain: Aha, you are indeed clever, you've noticed. "grin" of course, that was on purpose. I'm glad you liked it! It's such a relief. Actually, they are still engaged. Marriage will come later.

Panther eyes: Hahaha, indeed, you are correct! I had that image of speed in my head too. Well, how would you react, really? I think I'd be embarrassed to death.

Gothic Saku-chan: Yeah, he's not keeping anything from her, not good for him. Enjoy next chapter!

Darth Cooper: I know he's cute but if it never happened he could not pass on his cuteness to his children, right? And that would be a shame.

**Guys, I saw these boots the other day (in a magazine) and sakura flowers were printed on them with a lotus on the tip! I normally never buy shoes, but that pair, I want it so much! Hahaha, sorry for being random.**

**On with it!!!**

_**You what?!**_

For some odd reason Lee could not quite comprehend, Sakura suddenly started screaming. "What is wrong, my blossom?" Lee asked a bit upset himself by her weird reaction. "Was it something I said?" Sakura picked up a pillow and buried her face into it. Lee had the feeling she was never going to emerge again if it was up to her. "What are you embarrassed about?...oh" Lee suddenly came to a conclusion he thought was truth. The poor boy still didn't understand what he had done wrong and thought Sakura was now embarrassed because of what they had done.

Sakura, knowing Lee well already, threw the pillow straight at him. "Why did you have to ask other people for advice?!" she groaned. Lee blinked. "I wanted to make sure I would not make a fool out of myself." Lee said. Wasn't that normal then? Sakura moaned in pure agony and crawled away underneath the sheets. "You don't just do that, Lee." Came her muffled voice. "Now, everyone will know!" Lee giggled. "I do not mind, do you? I mean, I think people like Kakashi or Ino and Shikamaru have done it as well." Sakura's face appeared again. She was still pouting.

"Yes, but that's assuming they've done it. Now, Neji, Tenten and Gai know for sure, and knowing Gai, he'll tell the whole world!" Sakura almost cried out. "No problem!" Lee said, smiling. "He cannot tell Ino, because she already knows as well." Now, Sakura screamed even louder and Lee pressed his hands against his ears. He watched in utter confusion as a completely naked Sakura walked over to him in a mad fury. He decided to just run.

The only problem was, since he was naked himself, he could not run outside, and so, he and Sakura ran trough the house until Sakura finally got tired, Lee not even needing to catch his breath. Damn him and his stamina. "You look cute." Lee praised as he watched Sakura lean on her knees. Sakura growled at him, resulting in Lee to laugh out loud. "You sound so sexy when doing that!" he said. Sakura sighed in defeat and just walked over to the bathroom once more. She closed the door behind her, leaving Lee standing there in the middle of the living room.

"Sakura, I am sorry!" he said, pounding on the door. "I did not mean to offend you in any way." He heard the faint noise of something shifting, but Sakura didn't respond. Lee crossed his arms. Akemi suddenly stood right next to him, looking up at him. Lee sighed. "I am jealous of you, Akemi." He said loud enough for Sakura to hear him. "Sakura-chan wants to cuddle you, but not me. I am going to cry if she keeps this up, Akemi." He heard Sakura snort in laughter at the other side of the door. "Really Lee, would you like me to do with Akemi what I did with you?" Lee thought this over for a second. "I would like to see you try." He said.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, to reveal a fully dressed Sakura. She smiled at Lee and kissed him. "Lee, why are you so adoringly naïve?" she asked him. Lee blinked. "Naïve, Sakura-chan? Me?" Sakura giggled. "Get dressed, silly." She said, stroking his chest one more time. "Before another girl sees you and tries to steal you away." Lee gasped in bewilderment. "No girl would ever be able to do that, Sakura-chan!" he said loudly and did his nice guy pose to prove it. Sakura decided to just shield her eyes. Lee blushed and quickly ran into his room, getting dressed himself.

Sakura picked up Akemi and went over to the couch. She petted the dog absently as she heard Lee's muffled cries every now and then as he tried to squirm himself back into the jumpsuit. It seemed he was having this struggle every time and she wondered if the boy saw that part as training as well. She sighed in bliss and was just about to relax and lie back when a sudden wave of nausea hit her harshly, bringing her out of any daydream she was having at the moment. She galloped to the bathroom one more time, reaching the toilet one more time, to empty her stomach while holding her hair back.

She lifted up her head, confused at the sudden sickness. What was going on now? She was just about to exit the bathroom when another wave hit her. She quickly shut and locked the door and returned to her previous spot on the floor, kneeling in front of the toilet. The sour taste in her mouth made tears spring to her eyes. She tried to be quiet, she really did, for she didn't want Lee to worry unnecessarily, but she didn't manage to do this so well. "Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Lee asked worriedly. "I'm fine Lee, are you dressed?" Sakura asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I am, now what is wrong?" Lee asked. His voice was more urgent now. Sakura smiled. It seemed she was feeling better already. She lifted herself from the ground and flushed the toilet. She opened the door to reveal a very worried Lee standing there. "Geez, can't a girl go to the toilet?" Sakura asked plainly and tried to get past Lee, but he wrapped a gentle arm around her waist. "Please, do not lie to me, Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Sakura smiled at the firmness in his voice, as his caring eyes refused to look away from her. "I'm alright now Lee, I just felt sick for a minute or so." Lee still didn't release her.

"Do you want to go see a doctor?" Lee asked. Sakura sighed. "No Lee, I told you I'm fine now! It must be something I ate." She released herself from Lee's grasp who kept staring at her as she made her way trough the living room. "Speaking of which, I'd like something right now." Sakura said cheerfully, clasping her hands together. She was getting a bit nervous seeing how Lee was still staring at her rather sceptically. "Lee, I'm fine!" she almost yelled. She threw her arms up in the air and let herself fall in the couch.

"Forgive me Sakura-chan." Lee finally spoke. "I will make you something to eat." Sakura smiled at him. "Thanks Lee, should I help?" Lee shook his head. "No Sakura-chan, you can just stay put." He smiled warmly at her, and Sakura was relieved to see the fire in his eyes again. Man, sometimes, he worried too much.

Days went by, while nothing out of the ordinary happened. But Lee had noticed that Sakura was nauseated more and more often, and Sakura herself was starting to worry about what was wrong with her as well. After a week or so, Lee couldn't take it anymore and simply dragged Sakura to go see a doctor.

"Lee, I'm fine! Please, I don't want to go!" Lee sighed. "Please, stop your pleading Sakura, you almost make me seem like a bad guy here, I am only trying to help." Sakura tried once more to squirm out of his firm grasp on her wrist. "You _are_ a bad guy!" she semi-teased. "I don't want to go to a doctor!" Lee stopped and turned around, pulling Sakura into his arms. "Please Sakura, you may not care for your health right now, and you may think it is a trivial matter, but I would like to make sure that you are alright." Sakura opened her mouth to answer but Lee stopped her with a kiss. "I do not wish to loose you for being… naïve." He said, repeating Sakura's words from earlier. Sakura blushed.

She know simply walked with him, not wanting to be dragged anymore. Perhaps she had been overacting just a bit. She noticed Lee looking at her and stuck out her tongue at him. Lee giggled at this. "You are still so very cute Sakura." He said, releasing her hand and draping his arm around her shoulders. Sakura smiled at this comment. "So are you Lee." She responded." They entered the hospital and wanted to make an appointment when suddenly, someone called their name. "Sakura-san, Lee-kun!" Lee and Sakura turned around in amazement. Why was it that every time they went to the hospital, Tsunade just happened to be there?

"Why is it that every time I visit here, you guys appear?" Tsunade asked. Sakura giggled. "Because we're reckless of course, Tsunade-sensei." She answered. She pushed Lee and Sakura into a room. "Then, I have no choice but to examine you." She said. "So, who is the sick one?" Lee pointed at Sakura and found the she was actually pointing at him! Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Sakura is constantly nauseous!" Lee told the hokage. "And Lee is paranoid!" Sakura in turn explained. Tsunade sighed and urged Sakura to sit down.

Lee gaped at her. What an accusation! But when she stuck out her tong playfully at him, he didn't think badly of it again. Tsunade let her hands glow and put them onto Sakura's shoulders. She closed her eyes, as if searching for something, and that is how they sat there for several minutes before she finally gasped. She glanced knowingly at Sakura before turning to Lee. "Please leave the room." She said. "But I…" Lee tried to protest but Tsunade was already shoving him away. "Out, out, out!" she said.

She closed the door behind Lee and turned back to Sakura. "Sakura, when was the last time you had any sexual interaction?" she asked. Sakura blushed at the question but answered nonetheless. "Er… about a week ago." Tsunade smiled and put a friendly hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura, you're pregnant." She said. Sakura gasped. "I…what?!" Tsunade giggled. "Yes, you're expecting two-egged twins!" If Sakura hadn't sat down, she would've collapsed. "L-Lee!" she yelled. "Please come back here!"

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Hehehe, well, well, what have we here? I know, I know, everyone expected this, but still! Let's just enjoy it and review, shall we? Haha, till next time! (er… next chapter that is, this is not the end)


	31. Ah, the youthful stress

Ah, I've gotten some…interesting reviews. Some, I really don't understand. Well… I'll just have to answer them and ask eh?

The ruby wolf: Well, for once, I know exactly what I'm going to make out of them, just you wait. I think you won't be displeased.

Raven's soul sister: Hahaha, now why do you think that? They'll look like both!

ifTheFlameConsumes: Ah, yesterday, I was updating and then suddenly one last review comes in, yours! Sorry for not answering that. Er… why are going to cry? Something wrong?

Panther eyes: I don't know that! I'm sorry! Really, but I don't know, it had to be that way to be right. Yeah, good thing indeed. Haha, I know, but I'm not going to describe to you what it looks like, nu-uh!

Troublesome writer: fraternal twins of course, silly. The rest is still a secret. How Lee will react, you'll find out soon enough now won't you? Hahaha short? Your reviews are always long! Well, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Girl, when are you going to update?! "cough" er…sorry about that. Aw come on, Lee has bushy eyebrows and we all find him cute, right? 13? Lucky you! The Lee in the current episodes is 13 too! Though I must wonder when in the world they ever celebrate a birthday! Oh well…

**And that's all of them! Man, I love episode 100 so much! If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to youtube and watch it! I love it! Naruto episode 100. It's about Lee and…**

**On with it!!!**

_**Ah, the youthful stress**_

Lee ran back inside at the shouts coming from his flower. He slammed the door open to find a very nervous Sakura and a Tsunade who was covering her ears to keep herself from getting deaf. "Geez, Sakura, please refrain from shouting like that." Tsunade scolded. "He was right outside the door you know." Sakura glanced guiltily at Tsunade and then shared that nervous glance with Lee once again. "What is wrong, Sakura?" Lee asked. Judging from the relaxed Tsunade, he guessed things weren't that bad, but Sakura was sure making a big deal out of this.

"Please don't get angry, Lee." Sakura said silently. Lee's eyes widened a bit. Why would he get angry? Tsunade playfully hit Sakura on the back of her head. "Don't be so dramatic, Sakura" she sighed. Sakura glared at her but quickly turned back to Lee. "Well, Lee… the truth is…" Sakura started, gulping slightly. Lee prepared inwardly for whatever blow he might receive, but the blow that eventually hit him, he did not expect.

"I'm pregnant."

Lee's mouth fell open, but no sound came out. Tsunade frowned and waved a hand in front of Lee's face. Sakura shifted her position a bit so she wouldn't meet the stare Lee was now giving a certain spot in space. She sighed. Why was he always like that? If the news was big, he had to process everything before responding, resulting in nervousness and anxiety from the counterpart. Tsunade didn't seem to be a patient woman though. "Lee, respond goddamnit!" she yelled. Lee did snap out of it.

His eyes were teary as he took Sakura's hands in his. "The only time in my entire life…" Lee started, his voice quivering. "…that I have been more happy, was when you told me you loved me." Sakura laughed. She didn't know why. It was as if a giant weight was suddenly lifted off of her shoulders, granting her the relief to laugh. Lee was laughing as well and hugged Sakura tightly. "This is wonderful news!" Lee shouted. He then turned himself towards Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama, please tell me, do you have any more news about the baby?" Tsunade smiled. She of course, was the only person in the entire world who could already see things that normally weren't visible until after a few months. She was the fifth, after all.

"As a matter of fact, I do, Lee." She said happily. "You're going to have twins, fraternal, I might add." Lee's mouth fell agape once more, but the silence didn't last as long this time. "That is wonderful news!" he shouted. He now lifted Sakura up with his arms outstretched and twirled her around. Sakura was laughing and Tsunade was yelling at them, saying they had to cut it out. Lee gently put Sakura back onto the ground and gazed in her eyes lovingly, receiving the same gaze from his one and only true love. "You are going to be the best mother ever." He whispered. "You're going to be the best father ever." Sakura responded.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be wonderful, now please leave the hospital!" Tsunade said, almost throwing the two out. She was very happy though. Her only student who had grown admirably was now about to start a family off her own. She had also overcome the grief that had struck her not too long ago. She was truly pleased to say the least. "Or, do you perhaps want to know the sex of the twins?" Lee furiously shook his head, but Sakura was nodding. Tsunade leaned over to whisper into Sakura's ear. Suddenly, Sakura was smiling brightly. It seemed to be good.

And finally, they left again. They were walking down the street when suddenly… "You!" Lee and Sakura stopped to see a furious Neji come their way. Sakura couldn't help but hide behind Lee. Neji stopped a few inches away from Lee's face to shout at the poor boy. "Because of you, I was late for a jounin meeting!" he yelled. "And now I was assigned the worst mission possible!!!" Lee blinked. "My fault?" Neji almost punched the boy in the face. "If you hadn't woken me up so early to talk about sex, I wouldn't have slammed my alarm clock against the door.

Lee scratched his nose innocently as he thought about the events that had occurred last week. Sakura sighed and reappeared again. "Please forgive him Neji-san." She said. "You know him, he's er…" Neji suddenly grinned evilly. "Did my advice pay off?" he asked Sakura seductively. Lee gasped. "Neji! How dare you ask that of her?!" Sakura simply looked away in embarrassment. "But…it did." Lee then said. Sakura almost started crying but decided to just knock Lee harshly on the back of his head. "Stop saying such things!" she yelled.

Neji laughed. "You deserve it!" he said, still angry for his lousy mission. "But Sakura, it did!" Lee argued. "You are pregnant, are you not?" Sakura slapped her hand in front of Lee's mouth, almost hoping the boy would suffocate. Neji simply stared at them. "Is he serious?" Neji asked, pointing at the boy who was becoming a little blue now. Sakura simply nodded, as an anxious Lee started scratching away at her hands. She finally released him, and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. "Sakura, what is with you today?" Lee asked. Sakura simply sighed.

"Well… I'll be off now." Neji said. Sakura wanted to stop him, and tell him that he couldn't tell anyone she was pregnant, but she wasn't fast enough and Neji finally disappeared. "Lee, I know you're excited but do you have to tell the entire world?" Sakura asked. "Of course I do, Sakura!" Lee assured her. "The world needs to know that we have created the most beautiful thing in the entire ,world trough sheer love. The world needs to know that I love you, Sakura." The seriousness in Lee's voice made Sakura giggle.

They continued walking, Sakura long forgotten her rage. "Sakura, do you think that we should… er…" Sakura blinked, looking up at Lee in confusion. He had grabbed hold of her hand, his rather sweaty. "Out with it, Lee." She urged. "Perhaps, we should get married a bit sooner then we have agreed on?" he stroked the ring decorating her finger and smiled at her. His smile told her it was okay with him either way, but his eyes told her his wish was to get married as soon as possible. "Is that possible?" Sakura asked. Lee nodded, as if not wanting to say the words needed for explanation, he did though. "We can, because both of us are independent now." Lee said.

Lee felt how for a split second, Sakura squeezed his hand, but the feeling soon disappeared. "I didn't know that." She answered. "Well, why not?" she said, smiling. "Wonderful!" Lee shouted in all his youthfulness. "How about tomorrow?" Sakura giggled slightly. "No, Lee, I think that'd be a bit too soon." Lee blushed embarrassedly. "Yes, you are right, I do not know what I was thinking." Lee said. Sakura smiled and tucked herself away underneath Lee's arm. "You are too cute, Lee." Sakura sighed. She absentmindedly stroked her belly, happy to know that the two little people growing inside of her, would receive the love of both her and Lee. She already wondered what they would be like, even thinking over names.

"Lee, why didn't you want to know the sex of the baby?" Sakura asked. "Sakura, I do not need to know for I know that either way, I will love our children with all my strength." Sakura smiled. "But why did you want to know?" Lee asked. Sakura laughed. "Lee, don't you realize already? I am extremely curious!" she said. Lee smiled. "So er… do you want to tell me what they are now?" he asked, scratching his nose. Sakura looked up at him in surprise and found him blushing slightly. "No way, Lee!" she laughed. "If you wanted to know, you should've asked Tsunade-sensei."

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Do any of you know? Have you ever, ever heard Lee laugh out loud? Yes, he smiles very brightly, but laugh out loud? I heard him giggle one time, in a flashback in episode 100 and found it to be indescribably cute! And that's when I started thinking, he never laughs out loud! Oh well, please review!!!


	32. Arrangements

Yay! This story has the most reviews out of all my stories. And I've got 67! So thank you all so very much! I'm going to be honest with you, I had a time I wanted to stop this story but now I can't even see the end! Not a problem for me, is it for you?! Now to answer my reviewers.

Gothic Saku-chan: "grin" cute indeed, I love them.

StrawberrySakuraChan: I don't like updating when my brother can read what I'm typing but, well yeah… I've got to! I promised, right? Yup, time skip in February! I can't wait, Neji is soooo cute there! And of course, Lee grows a lot! Hahaha, he is even chuunin, wearing the same jacket as Gai, resembling him even more. I will look forward to your update then. I'll check right after I finish this chapter.

The ruby wolf: I don't have to do anything. "grin" and I won't tell you yet. I'm the only one who knows, Mwuhahaha!

Troublesome writer: I think it's very bad. I know, he's so naïve, but cute. Of course I did that on purpose silly! You know how I love doing that! Lee doesn't know either so cheer up. Yeah! He never laughs out loud, does he?! And he chuckled so sweetly in episode 100. Really, really sweet, you have got to see it!

LeeLover09: "blink" busted? What do you mean, busted? "blink"

Panther eyes: Okay, so that's your guess, you'll find out soon enough. You know Lee, he is just that clueless. Awesome wasn't it? Especially when Gaara shows up and keeps him from fighting because he feels guilty. I loved that part, especially when Lee was saying: "not that I hold a grudge or anything…" he is just so innocent. Annnnd… that's not the only time he uses the drunken fist, but you'll get to the next one eventually.

Animelover5.6: Don't worry, I don't blame you. It's not like I give you guys a lot of time to review eh? "grin" yup, she's pregnant alright. I just had to make it twins!

**And that was all of them! Now we can continue onward with the story. I already have an ending in mind for the story but man, that's going to take very long, so yay! **

**On with it!!!**

_**Arrangements**_

Ino gasped as she took Sakura's hands in hers. Lee had been off to see Gai-sensei again. He had visited the man everyday since he had been there, and quite frankly, Sakura couldn't blame him. The man was more or less his God after all. And Sakura grew to like him more and more as well. Either way, that's the reason why Ino was directing all her excitement at Sakura only. Even Shikamaru was staring at the pink haired kunoichi from behind Ino, rather dumbfounded I might add.

"I can't believe you're getting married!" The blond squealed in delight and hugged Sakura extremely tight. "And on top of that, you're pregnant!" She yelled even louder. Sakura struggled to get out of Ino's grasp and finally succeeded, gasping fro breath. "Yes Ino, that's right." She said. "So, Lee was really able to pull it off eh?" Ino asked, winking at Sakura. Sakura simply groaned in frustration. "Will people keep confronting me on this?!" she asked desperately.

Ino tried to calm her down. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry." She swung her arm around Sakura's shoulder and brought her face close to hers so she could whisper. Shikamaru couldn't know everything, now could he? He was a guy! "What can I do for you Sakura?" Ino asked, while Shikamaru went to sulk in a corner. "I'd like for you to be a bridesmaid, Ino." Ino blinked, and stared at Sakura as if she was expecting her to suddenly yell 'Gotcha!' but she didn't. "You really want me to do it?" she asked. "Absolutely!" Sakura responded. "Lee gets to choose the best man, and I get to choose the bridesmaids!"

Ino nodded. "Clever arrangement. How many other bridesmaids will there be?" "two." Sakura responded. "I want to ask Hinata and Tenten." Ino grinned. "Perfect! Now, can I help you with anything else?" Sakura nodded. "Well, we'd like to perform the wedding in a month or so, but a lot of preparations are needed, and…" "I get it Sakura!" Ino interrupted. "I'll help you out as much as I can." She grinned. "Picked a dress yet?" Sakura furiously shook her head no. "Of course not, I don't know how big I will be in a month." Ino giggled. "You won't grow that much in a month, Sakura." She said. "I'd like to be sure." Sakura sighed. "Especially because I'm having twins."

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"Please, please be one of my best men!" Lee pleaded. Neji sighed. "I've still not forgiven you, Lee." Neji said, not really meaning this. He was really happy for they boy, and wouldn't mind being the best man, but he just wanted to tease Lee a bit. "Please Neji, I am very sorry, I truly am, but I really, really need you to be in this wedding." He begged. "You are my bet friend." Neji looked away from the sulking boy. Oh why was he acting so dramatic again, he couldn't stand it! "Alright, alright, I'll be your best man." He finally agreed. "Yes, thank you Neji!!!" Lee yelled. He ended with a nice guy pose and jumped off to find his second best man.

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"Tenten!" Sakura greeted heartily as the girl opened the door. "Hi Sakura, please come in." Tenten said politely. Sakura entered and waited with a big smile for Tenten to say anything else, she just raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so perky?" she asked. "Oh, Tenten, there's so much great news! I am pregnant with twins and am going to get married with Lee in a month, and could you please be one of my bridesmaids?" Tenten took a while to process all of that information when finally she squealed in delight like only girls can. "OMG, I can't believe you guys are going to get married!" she yelled equally perky. "Of course I will be one of your bridesmaids… wait, did Lee actually pull it off, my advice worked?" Sakura started pouting, not even wanting to feel embarrassed anymore.

"Yes Tenten, he pulled it off, so you want to be my bridesmaid?" Tenten nodded furiously. "Wonderful! I'll be off then." Sakura said happily. "Wait, could you er…" Tenten said hesitantly. "Tell me what sex the babies are?" Sakura nodded and whispered something in Tenten's ear. She gasped. "That's wonderful!" she yelled. "Yes." Sakura agreed. "But don't tell Lee." Tenten examined Sakura's smirk and decided to agree. "Alright Sakura." She said. And then, Sakura really was off."

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"Good day Ino-san, Shikamaru-san!" Lee greeted. Ino turned around to greet Lee. Shikamaru simply raised a lazy hand. "Hey, guess what…" Lee started but Ino cut him off. "I know, I know, pregnancy, marriage, what else is new?" Lee blinked. "Oh…" Ino laughed. "Sakura's stopped by here already, that's all." She explained, trying to erase Lee's confusion. "That is wonderful, then I can make my visit short." Lee said happily. "Actually, Shikamaru-san, I am here for you." Lee said. "To ask you if you could be one of my best men." Shikamaru was about to flatly refuse but Ino knocked him harshly on the head.

"He would love that, Lee-san." Ino said innocently. "Thanks for asking him." Lee nodded happily. He said his goodbyes and left once more, in search of the last and final best man. He already knew exactly who that would be.

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"Who is it?" sounded a shy voice as Hinata opened the big doors to the Hyuuga residence, only to reveal Sakura. "O-Oh, S-Sakura, w-what can I h-help you w-with?" Sakura smiled sweetly. "Well, I don't know if Neji already told you but…" the widening of Hinata's blush and the sudden giggles escaping her lips proved she indeed knew. "I-I g-guess my c-cousin's a-advice w-worked?" Sakura's mouth fell open. Hinata had even dared asking that? And how the hell did she know in the first place? This was getting too weird!

She decided to shrug it off for now and carry on with what she was doing there in the first place. "Anyways, Hinata, I came here to ask you a very important question." Hinata blinked, but said nothing, waiting patiently for Sakura to carry on. "Would you like to be my third bridesmaid?" Hinata gasped and Sakura could only hope the girl wouldn't faint. Not before she answered anyways. "I-I w-would l-like that very m-much, Sakura." Hinata responded. "Wonderful!" Sakura said. "Thank you so much!" She grinned. "Now, there's only one person left for me to find." She jumped off, to find that certain person, leaving Hinata to close the door, and turned around to see a grinning Neji. So, both would be in the marriage…

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"Hiya bushy brows!" Naruto greeted. He stopped in the middle of the training he was having with Kakashi. "You here for something important?" Lee nodded. "It is very important indeed." He cleared his throat and posed like a soldier. "I am here to declare that I and Sakura are getting married in about a month." Lee said. Kakashi actually dropped his book when hearing this. He dropped it to the ground! The dirty, grassy, staining ground! "And I would like to ask Naruto if he would do me the honour of being one of my best men." If Kakashi had bothered to pick up his book, he would've dropped it again.

"Whoa, stop right there, bushy brows, you are getting married now?!" Lee nodded. "Yes, we are, so, what do you say?" Naruto couldn't help but feel a little bit sad, Sakura was truly lost forever, but she would be happy. This was Lee after all, he loved her more then life itself! And that is why he would gladly participate in the marriage. "Yes, I'd love to bushy brows!" he said. "Yosh! That is wonderful news Naruto-kun, thank you so much!" Naruto grinned.

"Kakashi-sensei, I w-… oh." Sakura came to a halt in front of Lee, Naruto and Kakashi, surprised to find Lee there. "I have arranged three best men." Lee said happily, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. He didn't seem to be surprised at all to find Sakura there. "Are you finished?" he asked. "I've got my three bridesmaids." Sakura said, winking. "But I have to ask one more person to take part in the wedding." Lee nodded understandably. He had discussed this issue with Sakura before, and they had come to a satisfying conclusion.

"Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said, directing herself to the jounin. "I was wondering if perhaps you… er…" Lee wondered why Sakura was hesitating, and Kakashi was as well. "Well, ask me already." He said, still dazed, his book still on the ground, forgotten. "If you could be the one to give me away?" Kakashi's right eye widened in what Sakura could only believe to be happiness, when suddenly he loudly said. "Give you away to him?!" pointing to Lee. He put a hand on Lee's shoulder and smiled at Sakura. "Anytime." Sakura smiled and hugged her sensei. She wouldn't have wanted anyone else to do it.

"Did you tell them I was pregnant yet Lee?" Sakura asked, expecting that he already had, seeing how he was…well…Lee. Too bad for her, he hadn't told them yet. And Kakashi was kind of…fuming. "You're what?!"

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And that was that. With this chapter, I reach 60000 words. I am so happy, another limit reached, a new challenge given to myself. Please do keep reviewing because this is not going to be over for a very long time.

Buh-bye


	33. To kill or not to kill

Well, well, I can't help but wonder… how many chapters can you upload max? "grin" well, my limit won't be reached for a very long time so no worries here. Now, for my reviewers!

Troublesome writer: Ah, don't you just love that episode? It's so painful to see him fall down like that in the beginning and to hear him cry so loudly at the end of the episode. And yes, younger Lee is very cute, I totally agree with you! Heheh, I can proudly announce I'm getting better and better at drawing him. Yay! Well…Neji has to have a mean side still, right? Everyone seemed to love Kakashi! That's so wonderful! Well yeah, the limit thingie was nothing but my rambling, pay no attention to that. For now, I'm going for 70000 words. I can't wait for the wedding either!

ifTheFlameConsumes: "grin" yeah, everyone liked the last part. Here's the update.

Suani-chan: Gosh, how many chapters did you have to read then? Haha, so lucky! Well, no problem, you're reviewing now aren't you? Thanks a bunch! All sections? "blink" wow, thanks. 5 stars? Are you perhaps a member of youtube or something? "grin"

StrawberrySakuraChan: Of course he'll always be cute! He was cute when younger too, wasn't he? I wonder what he'll say too. Aaaw, you still didn't update. "sniffle" oh well, good thing for you I'm patient… bad thing is I'm very curious!

Raven's soul sister: er… how about not? Heheh, that's not what I have in mind for Kakashi, I really hope you were kidding.

The16thday: Haha, everyone loved that part! I'm so happy, I thought I overdid it, but guess not.

The ruby wolf: I know I'm mean, hence the evil laughter. Thanks for the compliment, heheh. I won't tell you until it's time to do so, sorry. I always update soon, so no worries.

Animelover5.6: Well yeah, father figures are needed. Poor Lee, Kakashi might rip his head off.

Gothic Saku-chan: Very interesting indeed.

**And that's all of them. Oh yay, my birthday is coming up! And then I'll be 18 and I'll officially have the permission to write an m-rated story. "grin" And sorry to LeeLover09 for getting busted for reading this m-rated story. Sorry!**

**On with it!!!**

_**To kill or not to kill**_

Sakura and Lee weren't very sure which one of them should run away at this point. Perhaps both? Seeing how two chuunin could never outrun a jounin like Kakashi if their life depended on it, Lee simply decided to crawl behind Sakura seeing how she was probably safe from her sensei right now, at least until the babies were born. Kakashi's eye twitched a bit while Naruto suddenly started laughing really loud. "Bushy brows!" he yelled. "It seems the advice Neji gave you helped you out huh?" he mocked. Lee didn't take it as mockery though and shot him a nice guy pose only to hide behind Sakura again.

Sakura would've gotten mad at Naruto, she would've punched him right in the face, probably breaking his nose. But right now, she was preoccupied with Kakashi who had revealed his sharingan, probably to check if she was telling the truth. When he realized she was, he glared at Lee who was sneaking glances at him. "Does this mean… that you two… well… forget it, I don't want to know!" Sakura giggled. "Sakura-chan! Can I be an uncle?!" Naruto almost screamed.

"Naruto…" Sakura sighed. "You don't just decide on an uncle, that kind of relationship is bound by blood." Naruto frowned. "But Sakura…" he protested. "You don't have any brothers, and neither does Lee, so the baby will have no uncle." Sakura thought of this. "Well…" she sighed, giving in. "First of all, it's babies as in 2 babies and second of all, you're right." Naruto's mouth fell agape as Kakashi covered his left eye again. "Twins?" he stuttered. "Wow, bushy brows, at your first try!" Kakashi's eye twitched, this time harder then the first time.

And that is how Sakura found that while she punched Naruto in the face this time, Kakashi did the same, making Naruto fly… well… very far away. Lee was meanwhile considering to back away very slowly, but decided against it, knowing he shouldn't leave his love alone with an angry Kakashi. He put his arms around Sakura and kissed her gently to calm her down. "Do not blame him, Sakura." He said, referring to the blond. "He cannot help it, it is his youthfulness that gets him to say the first thing that comes to mind." Lee made it sound like he even admired that.

"No Lee, its just Naruto making fun of you." Lee chuckled. "Do not worry about that either Sakura, I am used to that." He managed to quiet Sakura down by saying that. Sakura gently hit him in the belly. "Why are you so silly, Lee?" she whispered, afraid that he might catch her sudden sadness at his previous words. He didn't and just laughed. Kakashi coughed and picked up his icha icha book. "I guess there's nothing for me to say but…" and his right eye glared dangerously. "…If you do anything wrong Lee, even if it's something like not doing the dishes when asked to, I will hunt you down and kill you!"

Lee nodded. "Yes sir, I fully understand sir." He answered. Sakura shook her head. Threats didn't seem to matter to Lee. Not that he didn't take them seriously, it was that he always agreed to the reason of what would be his punishment. Why was he so adorably innocent? Kakashi nodded and jumped away. "Well…" Sakura said. "I think we'd better return home now." Lee nodded. "Gee Sakura, why did you have to tell your sensei about your pregnancy so bluntly?" This was probably one of the only times where Sakura truly felt the urge to kill Lee.

For the sake of her children, she didn't kill Lee though. But she didn't respond either, thinking she would explode in rage when she did. She simply grasped Lee's hand in hers and pulled him with her, heading home.

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More weeks went by. Nothing really special had happened, and everyone in the village was now fully informed about things between Sakura and Lee. Seeing how circumstances were for the two young people, everyone had decided to give what money they could miss to help pay the wedding, and seeing how many people lived in the village, that was quite an amount. It could even have paid off Tsunade's debts. Sakura's belly was getting a bit bigger already, but the growth was still rather subtle. Too bad she had 8 more months to go.

The wedding was in a week, and she was getting a bit stressed out, but not as much as Lee was though. The boy stayed awake for nights, too energetic to go to sleep. Most of the time, he suddenly decided to go run laps to get rid off the energy. Whenever he did that, he didn't come back until morning. This didn't mean he didn't take care of Sakura though. He had too much energy in the daytime as well. He did the dishes, cleaned the house, made dinner and did any other thing that might even tire Sakura a bit. This meant Sakura had absolutely nothing to do.

Gai was much better by now. He had been allowed to leave the hospital but only if he promised not to train for another month. He had of course accepted, gladly doing anything to be able to go to Lee's wedding. He was still walking with crutches and what was more problematic was that Tenten kept blushing and looking away whenever she saw her sensei, but that dramatic attitude had decreased in intensity a bit already. Gai thought it was very youthful for her to blush and didn't mind so much. Neji did though.

Sakura had been bothered with many more people making fun of her and Lee's… night before, but that had stopped now. What they don't know yet, is something horribly gruesome, something…unexpected and yet so very cliché. They were in for a very embarrassing surprise, both of them.

"Aw, Lee, why can't you just come with me?" Sakura pouted. Lee gently kissed her hand, firmly clasped around his. "Since when are you so scared of going to your friends?" He asked gently. "They're up to something." Sakura growled. "I know they are." Lee smiled. "I am sure you will survive my cherry blossom." He kissed her lips sweetly this time. "Either way, Ino said she would kill me if I dared to come with you Sakura, and also, I am expected somewhere else as well, you know this." Sakura nodded.

"I must say I am a bit curious about what is to come." Lee said, thinking. "And that is why I really want to go." Sakura giggled. "I guess I want to know what's in store for me too." She said. "Well then, good luck, I guess." Sakura said, shivering a bit. The outside was cold right now, even if spring was coming up. Some cherry blossom buds were even showing already. Lee smiled, took off his jacket and draped it around Sakura's shoulders. Before she could even protest he said. "Good luck to you too my angel." And ran off.

Sakura smiled at the sweet gesture. Lee was always looking out for her. She absentmindedly stroked her belly while walking to where she was expected tonight. Ino's flower shop. Supposedly, it was going to be an all girls night, no guys allowed. Or had that been a lie, to avoid Lee from tagging along? The flower shop was closed at this time of day, which was only natural, and Sakura simply rang the bell of the back door. Ino's bright face appeared almost immediately after she did. Had they been waiting for her or something. She was pulled inside as the door closed.

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Lee skipped and jumped and ran. His energy was still not leaving him. He was sure Sakura was going to be alright. Her friends were probably throwing her an early baby shower or something. Well, at least he would have something to do with his cherry blossom gone for the evening and perhaps tonight. He had been invited at the Hyuuga mansion, for an all boys night or something. Well, that would prove to be fun, right?

He stopped in front of the door and heard a lot of noise come from a certain part of the mansion. He blinked but smiled, thinking this would be even more fun than he had already thought. He knocked loudly on the gates and the noise actually stopped. Some drapes were shifted aside and the noise started again, this time louder. Lee raised an eyebrow at this. Were they playing a prank on him, or were they just that happy that he was there? Wait, had they been waiting for him?

More time to think about it, he didn't get, for the doors were suddenly pushed open, a blond appearing and dragging Lee inside, closing the door behind him.

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There, anyone have an idea what's going on? "grin" I do. Either way, if you know or not, please do review, because that's what makes me happy always!!!


	34. Still alive!

Teehee, finally continuing. This is really random, but I'm going to start playing warhammer, and today, I hung out with my own secret love. I was so happy to be able to. Now, to answer my reviewers…

Animelover5.6: Er… No, that's not what's going to happen. Original thought though.

xoSweetEscape: Yup you're right, as are most people. Clueless? Oh geez, don't say that. Thanks for the compliment, I hope you keep on enjoying it.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Well, I'll try to make it pretty… Yup, I read and reviewed, so thanks for updating. "grin" I thought the children needed an uncle. Thank you!!!

Bobalu: Well… not really actually. But you'll find out soon enough. "grin" yeah, I checked it out to see for myself and now I feel so very pitiful with my mere 33 chapters. Oh well, I'm not stopping yet. Thanks for having told me about it. Well, if Lee got strangled, lots of people would want to kill me.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Well yeah, it would've broken mine too, so I didn't kill him off, Sakura would've killed Kakashi for that. Thank you.

Van the Key of Lain: Yup, you're right. Not everyone finds it so natural though. Yeah, that's the way he is eh, extremely blunt.

Panther eyes: Everyone thought that. Good point, Lee can't drink any alcohol, that would result in very bad things. Well… I'll let you in on a secret, I'm planning on having Sasuke appear somewhere again, but I'm not telling you when. "grin"

Gothic Saku-chan: Really? Then enjoy reading about it.

Troublesome writer: Yeah, rambling. I'll reach it, don't you worry. I think I've written a bit too much funny stuff, so I'm going to write some drama soon. I'm still thinking about what I should write though. But this chapter should still be funny though. "gasp" I've got an idea! Good drama. "grin" yay. You have a hunch? Well, I wonder if that hunch was correct then. Read and find out then! Thanks for the review!

**That was all of them! Oh, and a recommendation. You should really find the songs of avenue Q and listen to them. They rule!!!!**

**On with it!**

_**Still alive!**_

"Surprise!" Sakura blinked as she took a few more steps. There were balloons everywhere, coloured ribbons flattering every wall, and desserts of every kind set on a large table. "Wow, you really like to organize parties, don't you?" was Sakura's first comment to the scenery. She looked around to find Hinata, Tenten and even Temari. The Konoha village wasn't really known for its variety in girls. Sakura giggled. What her friends were up to, it could be anything, but she just loved the fact that they had done anything for her. She had a hunch of what was going to happen though, and hoped Ino wasn't going to go too far.

"H-Hello, Sakura-san." Hinata greeted. Tenten simply pulled Sakura into a big hug. "Here's my future-wife-to-my-team-mate." She joked. "Now, what would that mean for me? Some kind of sister?" Sakura giggled. Tenten was always so very weird, she loved it. "Howdie girl, I heard the big news." Temari said, waving lazily at Sakura. "What are you doing here, Temari-san?" Sakura asked. She had much respect for the female jounin and was truly surprised to find her here. "I was invited…" Temari said. "…or more like, dragged here by your friends." Sakura smiled. "Are Gaara and Kankuro here too?" she asked.

"Kankuro is." Temari said. "And Gaara wanted to come but naturally, as he is the kazekage, he can't leave the village." Sakura nodded understandably. If she had respect for Temari, she had great admiration for her youngest brother. He had been able to become kazekage at the same age as Sakura was right now. Of course, she still felt a twinge in her heart every time she thought about the redhead crushing her beloved, but he had changed, and had saved Lee later on. And she couldn't help but be grateful for that. But she couldn't help but wonder… "Where is Kankuro, Temari-san?" Sakura asked, not sure what her brother would do all alone.

Temari opened her mouth to answer but Ino clasped her hand in front of Temari's mouth. "He's eating ramen." Ino practically yelled. "At the ramen stand." Sakura raised an eyebrow. The ramen stand wasn't open at this hour, so what could this possibly… "Oh my God! Lee!" She turned around to go save him. Now everything was clear to her! Too bad for her, Ino stopped her. "Lee will be alright, Sakura." But Sakura wasn't too sure of that. "You don't understand how innocent he is!" she almost screamed. Even Hinata laughed at that statement. "Sakura." Ino said, calming her. "Any guy able to knock you up is not, I repeat _not_ innocent."

Sakura growled. Fine, so they were right but why did they have to put it that way? Ino pushed her over to a chair and pushed her in. The girls sat around her, looking at Sakura expectantly. "What?" Sakura asked, not sure what was happening. "Tell us all about it!" Tenten practically squealed. Hinata started blushing hard at this. "Tell you about what?" Sakura asked once more, completely clueless at this point. "About _the night_, Sakura!" Ino urged. Sakura sighed, giving in. "Fine." She responded. "Let's see…"

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"What is going on, Naruto?" Lee asked. "Why are you so exited?" Naruto grinned at Lee, while dragging him to the room Neji was probably situated. "Because you're here Lee." Naruto said. Lee gulped. "One, that sounds very wrong, Naruto." Lee said. "And two, why would that make you happy?" Naruto didn't answer, he simply kept dragging Lee. Lee noticed he had a bloody scratch on his cheeks and he knew Sakura and Kakashi had been the cause of that. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the boy.

Naruto swung the door open to reveal not only Neji but also Shikamaru, Kankuro, Chouji, Shino and Kiba. Shino seemed to not want to be there for some reason, but Lee simply thought of it as his normal facial expression and paid no attention to the frown. What he did wonder about though, was the balloons, some with faces drawn on them, and a banner that had already been torn in half and stuck together messily with tape. On it was in big words: 'Bachelor party'. The handwriting was messy but clear. Lee sighed. He had kind of been expecting something like this, but not now. He didn't want to attend to a party like this.

"I am sorry, but I do not think Sakura would like me to attend to something like this." He said, apologizing. Neji snorted a bit and Naruto smiled that foxy grin of his. "What do you think she is doing at this very moment?" Naruto asked. Lee's mouth fell open. "She is not!" he protested. "She is, the girls won't let her go." Kiba said, gesturing for Lee to just give up. Lee growled. "Then I must go save her!" Kankuro put a hand on his shoulder. "If you don't want the girls to kill you, you'd best not do that." His voice was eerily calm. "Alright, Kankuro-san." He smiled at the older jounin.

"Why are you here?" he asked curiously. "For you of course." Kankuro answered. "And Gaara says hi too." Lee's smile brightened. He really owed Gaara a lot. Sure, he had caused him great pain, both physically and mentally, but because of his injuries, he and Sakura had grown so much closer to each other, and he had also saved him later on. "Can I go now?" Shino asked. Neji sighed, as if it had been the thousandth time Shino had asked that. "If I have to stay, you have to stay too!" he said.

Lee laughed. Perhaps this party could be much more fun then he had thought. He took a pastry standing on a small table and slowly ate it. He wasn't used to eating sweets, but if his friends had gone trough the trouble of getting them for a party in his 'honour' then he just had to eat something, right? "Can we get her out now?" Naruto asked. Lee blinked. Kiba jumped up hastily, Shino seemed to try and crawl away deeper into his coat, Neji simply closed his eyes and Kankuro started laughing. Chouji hadn't stopped eating once, but even he waited to continue stuffing his face for at least e few seconds.

Lee found their reactions both funny as scary. He may be a naïve guy but he was sure he knew what was coming next. Before he could run though, Naruto closed the door in kind of a dramatic way. Lee gulped. He wasn't getting out of this one it would seem.

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"…And that's basically everything." Sakura said. All the surrounding girls sighed. "You are so lucky to have him." Tenten said. "He is so cute." Sakura growled. "He's mine Tenten, stay away from him." Tenten just laughed. "I still prefer Neji, don't worry." She said. Ino threw her a devilish glance. "Oh, what about Gai-sensei?" she asked. Tenten let out a furious growl, and smacked a pillow onto Ino's head.

"I-I t-think s-she was v-very brave to d-do that." Hinata said, trying to help Tenten. Ino playfully threw the pillow at Hinata now. "Oh, does that mean you'd do the same for say, Neji?" Hinata blushed so hard now, she hid her face in the pillow and it still was visible. "Oh, stop teasing her." Sakura said, really afraid Hinata would pass out. Temari laughed. "Yeah Ino, or we'd have to get into what you have been doing with Shikamaru lately." Ino gasped and furiously glared at Temari, knowing she could never take the jounin.

Suddenly, a loud pounding interrupted their chatter. "Open this door!" a voice yelled. Sakura blinked. What was going on now? "The street is complaining about you being too noisy, I have to see what you're up to!" the strict voice said. Sakura had never heard it before though. And they hadn't been loud at all. Ino smiled and went to open the door. "I'll see what's the matter." She said. She opened the door and a dashingly handsome ninja stepped inside. "Ah, I see what's the matter here." He said, glancing at Sakura. "There isn't enough… manliness." Tenten snickered at this. And Tenten put on some music. Sakura knew what was coming next.

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Music appeared from another room when suddenly a beautiful woman stepped inside. She stroked Lee's cheek. "Have you been a bad boy?" she whispered in his ear. Lee backed away and fell backwards when a chair was pushed against his legs, causing him to sit down. "No, really, I have not!" Lee protested. Even Neji laughed at this. Shino still remained quiet though. Lee cast his eyes down shyly when suddenly, a shirt was flung in his face. He gently put it down next to him, trying to ignore Naruto's loud whistling and the burning of his own cheeks. This was so wrong.

A skirt was thrown in his lap and Lee clenched his fists. He was one very nervous boy right now. How could they do this to him? Didn't they know he could never survive this? He knew he couldn't take this much longer. Also, Kankuro yelling at the woman to take off even more clothing didn't help much. He clenched his eyes shut when all of a sudden, he felt how something was flung in his face. He opened his eyes to reveal a now red bra in his lap. He felt how a finger slowly lifted his chin. This was it, he couldn't take it anymore.

He clumsily lifted himself from the chair and rushed to the door, actually breaking it off of its hinges, rushing away, leaving the very loud laughter behind. His friends were never going to let him forget this. The laughter was soon replaced with more whistling though. He sighed after leaving the Hyuuga mansion. Well… that had been special. He decided to just go home and wait for Sakura. He could only pray that she didn't face the embarrassment he had faced right now.

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Sakura cheered loudly with the rest of the girls as the 'guard ninja' took off his remaining clothing. She was having the time of her life! She didn't feel guilty at all, especially since she knew Lee was probably experiencing the same as her. She could only hope the boy was having as much fun as she was. The man in front of her, finished off with a little, silly dance, causing the girls to laugh loudly. Then, the man kissed Sakura's hand. "I hope you'll have a splendid wedding." He whispered, then kissed her cheeks.

Sakura giggled slightly. The man went back to putting on his clothes, then leaving after having accepted the money Ino had given him. The night lasted rather long, but nothing too exciting happened. Then, Sakura decided to just go home. She said her goodbyes and thank yous, took Lee's coat and left to head home. She was walking home alone, but didn't mind, seeing how she still had Lee's coat. "Miss." Sounded a voice behind her. Sakura turned around, her eyes suddenly widening. She took a few steps backwards, trying not to fall. This couldn't be.

Dark, black hair, eyes swirling red and black with the sharingan, looking at her with no expression. "Have you seen my cute little brother?"

"I-Itachi!"

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Did anyone expect that?! I don't think so! Well, I did. Tell me what you think in a review of course. Buh-bye!


	35. Red versus black

I'm cheery today, don't ask me now. Aha, I got 10000 hits on my story! That's a big first! Now I'm going for being in 35 people's favourites. I'm in 29! Thank you guys for that! But now, my reviewers.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Yay, you're going to continue! Well he's both faithful and very shy. Yeah… the matter of Itachi… thanks

xoSweetEscape: Yeah, Lee would always come to save her. He's just that cute, well, let's see what happens huh? No one expected Itachi.

Animelover5.6: Kill Sasuke? Sasuke isn't there anymore you know… or is he? Hahaha. Glad you liked it!

The ruby wolf: Big twist! Yeah, I needed some drama. Hahaha, I'm glad you do, at least I'm sure you'll read it then.

Bobalu: A laugh attack?! I guess I'd have one too! Didn't expect that, huh? Yeah, I'm proud of that twist! Glad you liked it.

Gothic Saku-chan: I'm glad you do! Itachi is so fun to come up with.

Panther eyes: Well yeah, Itachi is much better then Sasuke! Cuter too, but that's not the point. Yeah, Lee is just too shy, Sakura is not as chaste as he is eh?

Troublesome writer: Of course your hunch was correct, you're smart! Yeah, Itachi rules, though he should've killed off Sasuke! I prefer Lee over him any day though. Thank you, I'm very proud of the twist myself, drama was simply needed, as you probably noticed. Well, we'll see what happens next eh. Thanks for your review which is as always so very long. Enjoy.

ifTheFlameConsumes: No one saw it coming. Yay! Well, here's the next part.

**There, that's all of them. I seem to be getting a regular 9 reviews per chapter now, which is very good considering I get them all overnight. Yay! You all make me very happy.**

**On with it!**

_**Red versus black**_

The darkness concealed everything, a harsh wind suddenly blowing Sakura's pink hair into her face. She saw Itachi's black hair was now gently caressing his own handsome features. What was he doing here? She gazed deep into Itachi's swirling red eyes and suddenly felt how her legs buckled with her weight. She fell onto her knees, breaking the gaze with Itachi, still not able to move her legs. "Where is my brother?" repeated Itachi.

"I-I don't know." Sakura admitted. She felt like, if she had known, she would've told on him. So, killing off Itachi had also been a lie? Of course it was, Sakura couldn't believe she didn't see this coming. "Oh, then is he not here for you?" Itachi asked in mocking sweetness. Sakura could only grin as she found Itachi behind on the facts. That comment would've hurt her only if they went back in time for a few years. "Why would he be?" Sakura asked equally sweetly. Itachi frowned. "Then my brother isn't the one responsible for knocking you up?" That comment did strike Sakura though. Did he have to call it like that, at the same time disposing of it as something stupid and unimportant?"

"I would kill myself if he was." Sakura answered. Itachi seemed to be quiet for a few moments, and when Sakura looked up for a few inches, she found Itachi's face right in front of hers, sitting on his heels, inspecting her. "Aha, but you _have_ seen him." His sly voice said. He seemed to be rather pleased with that. When Sakura tried to look away again, Itachi grabbed her chin softly with his thumb and index finger, forcing her to keep on looking into his eyes. "Oh, and look at what he tried to do to you." He said. His soft voice barely above a whisper.

"He seems to be very desperate." He continued to gaze into Sakura's eyes and Sakura started thinking of his eyes as beautiful, but they were so cold, she could feel ice build up in her chest. It was too bad Itachi was so evil, he would've made a great match for any kunoichi. Her heart shouted angrily at her for even thinking of this comment, but Sakura thought not much of it. Sure, Itachi was very handsome, but Lee was the one for her, and much more sweet too.

"And there's the reason he didn't succeed." Itachi kept on whispering. Sakura thought he was talking to himself rather then to her. She was cursing her legs for not moving but knew it couldn't be helped. At the same time she knew she should remain calm, but she was starting to panic right now. It seemed Itachi was not only interested in Sasuke, but also in Lee. He had to stay away from Lee! Sakura felt how a raindrop hit her nose, and another one landed in her neck, giving her the chills.

Itachi's hand moved over the coat, Sakura was clasping. "The owner of this coat, Rock Lee." He said, more clearly this time. "It seems he was able to beat my brother." Sakura glared. Yes, Lee had been able to do just that. She felt proud for that but on the other hand, she was afraid. Why would that matter? "And he is the one that did knock you up." He said playfully, the hand on Sakura's chin shifting to stroke her hair out of her face. It was soaking wet right now, and so was Itachi's. A few raindrops made their way down his face but he didn't care.

"What is so special about you anyway?" He pushed himself up to a standing position again and stared down at Sakura from above. Sakura dared not look away though. She should be prepared for whatever was going to happen now. Not only for her sake, but also for her children. With quick movements, she slid a kunai out of her pouch and into her hand, narrowing her eyes at the Akatsuki member in front of her.

"Well, you sure are brave." Itachi said, stroking his chin. The rain was now turning into a regular downpour. "You're not at all pretty ." He continued. Sakura growled. "You have a few exotic traits though." He said, referring to her natural pink hair. "And I guess your green eyes seem appealing to men." He was now slowly circling her. "And you have some evil sides, I like that." He complimented. Sakura gasped. What did he mean by that? She would've yelled something at him but was still too afraid. "You have the worst taste ever, though." He said, chuckling at his own joke.

"I guess I can take you with me for now, to draw that Lee guy out." Sakura nearly cried. "Why?!" she yelled. "Why do you want him?" Itachi looked at her like she was stupid. "Sasuke will want revenge for his defeat, that is only natural for an Uchiha." He reached out to grasp Sakura's arm. She tried to slash it with her kunai, and actually succeeded, drawing some blood from Itachi's arm. Itachi didn't even flinch though and grasped her hand shortly after she cut him. He groped it so strongly, Sakura had no choice but to drop the kunai. She screamed in pain as Itachi started dragging her with him.

"I will wait for your precious Lee, who will then draw out my precious Sasuke." Sakura's legs were still numb, so she couldn't even try and attempt to just walk, instead of being dragged. Her clothes and next her flesh, were slowly cut open. She kept screaming, wondering why Itachi didn't respond to the loud noises she was making. Wasn't he afraid someone might hear? Suddenly, Itachi stopped though, and Sakura started sobbing.

He flung a piece of his coat over a bare branch and then harshly, yet calmly pulled on it, causing a piece of cloth to stay stuck on the branch. "A clue for your stupid boy." Itachi explained. Sakura grasped the coat of Lee tightly. She didn't know what she wanted at this point. She really wanted Lee to save her but on the other hand, if Lee wasn't strong enough, Itachi could kill him. Tears already flowed down her cheeks, if she even thought about a beaten and bruised Lee, lying in a puddle of blood, a shadow of Itachi covering his broken, dead body. His eyes, lifeless, and empty, staring at nothing.

Itachi gave Lee enough credit to think the cloth was enough of a hint for him, and he started walking again, dragging Sakura with him again, ignoring her screeching and wailing. Ignoring her screams that were so pained and worried, and ignoring that she pierced her nails into his hand, and grasping that green coat to her body tightly, as if her life depended on it.

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Lee's eye started twitching slightly. Where was Sakura? And why did he feel so very… uncomfortable. He looked outside of the window as he saw a thunder flash roar across the night sky. Why did he want to go outside so badly when it was raining so hard. Was he mad? Or was he simply lying to himself. Alright, so he was a bit worried about Sakura. Well, not a bit, a lot! What was keeping her?

He sighed. Perhaps, Sakura would not forgive her this for a few days, like when he had asked information on how to do…something, but he had to make sure she was okay. And he did what he thought was right, he called Ino. _Beep, beep_ "hello?" Ino was the one who answered. "Hello Ino-san, it is me, Lee, could I speak with Sakura, please?" the voice on the other side remained quiet. "Ino-san?"

"er… Lee-san, Sakura's left about an hour ago." Lee didn't need more. For once, he didn't think about common courtesy or being polite, he simply smashed down the phone and ran outside, leaving his door wide open. She had left an hour ago?! Nothing should've kept her for this long, nothing! He was out for only a few seconds and he already looked like he just took a leap into a river. Yet, he didn't care.

Sakura, where are you? He tried to trail the path she would've taken when coming back from Ino and did this several times until finally he saw something unsettling, something that made his heart skip a few beats. Right there, on the branch of a dead tree, hung a piece of cloth. It was black, with a red flower on it. It was unmistakable Akatsuki-material. He fell to his knees as he clutched the piece of cloth so very tightly, his nails pierced trough it and his own skin with it. He raised his arms and let his fists connect with a very loud thud onto the muddy ground. A flash of thunder lighting up the desperate tears now falling down his cheeks. His teeth grit in pure agony. The only thing he could do now was scream. "Sakura!!!"

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Well… yeah. Tell me what you think, I didn't overdo it, did I?

See ya next time!!!


	36. The search

"stares" wow. 11 reviews? You guys really want me to continue eh? Thank you guys so much! I'm so happy everyone likes it so much, but Itachi could have something to do with it too. Well, to answer you all…

Animelover5.6: Aaaw, thank you. No, no! By all means, tell me what your odd feeling is! If you have an idea of what's going to happen, please do tell me, I might use it! And now you made me curious.

RaeVenn: Hahaha, thanks! I'm glad you think so.

The16thday: You did? Yayness! I'll keep doing my best.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Well… I can only say I hope so too. You never know with me. "whispers" for a very sly moment I even thought about something between Itachi and Sakura, but then I kicked the crap out of myself. It's just that while I was writing about Itachi, I found him so much more appealing then Lee, which is why I made him say those horrible things, to make me hate him again. Heheh. Thank you.

xoSweetEscape: Argh! "freaks" You're right!!! What a dumb mistake of me to make!!! What did I do?! Thanks for pointing that out to me! Thanks for the compliment

Gothic Saku-chan: Hahaha, don't you know? I always update soon! I'm glad you're impatient though.

Bobalu: The next few chapters? One at a time please! Hahaha, lucky for you, I update every day. I hope I don't disappoint you.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Great! I'm glad you liked it.

The ruby wolf: "blink" wow. I wonder how many things that would've changed. Sasuke wouldn't be such a prick and he would probably accept Sakura, which means Lee never has a chance… DON'T KILL ITACHI!!!! Hahaha.

Troublesome writer: A twisty twist eh? I love twists… and cliffhangers! Yeah, Sasuke suffered indeed. Aha, you notice something very important! Good! But I won't tell you the answer yet, you'll find out as soon as I write about that. And what he wants with Sasuke… well, you'll have to wait for that too I'm afraid. Thanks, I am proud of my twisty twist, it gives me much more ways in how to continue from this point, yay!

Panther eyes: Nah, no sake, I can't do the same thing over and over again, can I? Indeed! An empty vessel! Still handsome though. He is very much of a threat, to anyone really, does he have any friends? Well, if he had, he'd kill them for his sharingan-upgrade. Argh!

A reviewer pointed this out to me, and.. I'M SORRY!!! It's a cloud that's on the akatsuki coats, not a flower! Forgive me this horrid mistake please… "cough" and now…

On with it!!!

_**The search**_

A hand suddenly appeared on Lee's hunched shoulders. Lee looked up to see a very concentrated Neji stare in the distance, his byakugan activated. "I can still see them." Neji said, squeezing Lee's shoulder a little. "We can catch up to them." Lee wiped his teary eyes. "Thank you Neji." He said, more grateful to him then he ever had been to anyone. "Thank me later." Neji said. "For now, follow me." Lee nodded and stood. And then Neji and Lee both jumped up high in the trees, pursuing Sakura and her captivator.

"How did you know?" Lee asked, as they hurried forward. "I came searching for you, but when I found you in such deep despair, I could guess easily what was going on. But tell me, who are we persuading?" Lee held up the cloth he was still grasping. "Someone from Akatsuki." He growled. "What?!" Neji yelled a bit too loudly. "Do you know how powerful they are?" Lee jumped to another branch, examining Neji. "If you do not want to fight him, you can tell me which way to go, and I will not blame you." Lee said.

He thought Neji was a bit scared, and truth be told, Lee was scared too. But he had a lot more to loose by letting the guy go then fighting him. Neji on the other hand, could loose his life for no reason. Neji though, simply shook his head. "That's not what I mean." He said. "But what would someone from Akatsuki want to do with Sakura?"

"Simple, because she is beautiful and wonderful and.." "Lee, that's stupid." Neji interrupted. "There is no reason for Akatsuki to want any girl like her." Lee was wise enough to shut up right now, though his insides were screaming at Neji about how wonderful Sakura truly was. "I think we have to think this over." Neji grasped Lee's arm, not letting him go any further. "Neji, what if he kills her, or hurts her?!" Lee protested. Neji shook his head. "I think Sakura is being used to lure out someone else. "But who?"

Neji started thinking about it. Akatsuki couldn't do anything with Lee either, he was a kid, only able to use taijutsu, nothing too valuable for a criminal organization. Neji inspected Lee who was jumping up and down the branch, wanting to go onwards. The waiting was killing the boy. "What about Sasuke?" Lee suddenly said. Neji stared at Lee in awe. Why didn't he think of that. Of course, Sasuke would also go after Sakura, but who would want Sasuke? Other then Orochimaru, there was… Itachi. Sasuke had told everyone he had killed Itachi but on the other hand, he had lied about Orochimaru as well.

Neji was pretty much on target, but on the other hand so very wrong about something, so very wrong about the way Itachi thought, and wrong about who was to lure who out. But he was on to something, and that was enough. "Maybe we should sneak a little bit closer, but not attack him yet." Neji suggested. Lee nodded, eager to catch even the slightest glimpse of his cherry blossom, wanting to know if she was alright. "But, you are_ not_ going to attack alone, and you _will_ listen to me." Neji told Lee, letting his jounin side show.

Lee bowed his head in defeat. If Neji had a plan, he'd best listen before he screwed anything up. He looked at the sky. The rain was still pouring down. Oh, how he hoped his cherry blossom was alright. "Let's go, Lee." Neji said, and continued onwards, Lee following close behind him.

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"Let me go, you jerk!" Sakura screeched. Itachi ignored her, holding on to her arm. Why this girl kept on fighting him, he didn't know. He'd have to knock her unconscious if she kept it up. "Ah, they finally started moving again." Itachi said. "Then we can continue too." He jumped in the trees, dragging Sakura still. Her legs were no longer numb, but this didn't mean his speed and grip on her didn't cause her to crash against a tree or a branch occasionally. Itachi never stopped though, he kept dragging her, ands soon, Sakura's entire body seemed battered and broken.

She could heal herself, but doing that while she was still being hurt would be rather pointless. So she decided to keep her chakra and just endure the brutal beating for now. She would try and stop her crash with any body part but her stomach though, seeing how her condition was. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to the twins. Thus she already had a broken wrist, bruised limbs and numerous bloody scratches on her face, all over her body actually.

"Please, stop, this hurts." Sakura begged. She tried not to be too loud though. If Lee came to find her, who knows what Itachi would do to him. All she wanted to do now was protect her precious people and Lee was one of them! Itachi glanced at her and her battered body. No expression was shown, not even an evil smirk or grin. He didn't care at all. But then he did stop and jumped down onto the ground. "Quit your complaining, we're here." Itachi scolded.

Sakura looked around her. They were in a vile, dark and gray area. Rocks were the main decoration of the place, not providing much comfort. A cave was embedded in said rocks. And that was exactly where Itachi was dragging her to. She stumbled a little bit behind him, trying not to fall. Itachi just took the big strides his legs allowed him to take, as if he was not carrying a burden of any kind. As they entered the cave, Sakura couldn't help but think about how lucky she was that they were going to hide in a cave. Chances were that Lee was going to overlook this place.

"Lucky for me, he can't overlook this place." Itachi answered her unspoken thoughts. Was he still reading her mind? The jerk. "Someone wielding the splendid eyesight of the Hyuuga-clan is with him." Sakura gulped. She was sure it was Neji. Indeed, if he was with Lee, they probably already tracked her. But…if Neji was really with Lee, wouldn't that interrupt Itachi's plans? "No, it won't." Itachi once more answered. "I'll just dispose myself of the other one." Sakura growled. "Why don't you just leave both of them alone?" She couldn't help but think Neji and Lee, combined together could surely take on Itachi, but once more, Itachi read her like a book.

"I'd like to see them try." He said. His face still showed no emotion. Sasuke would've smirked at the comment. Ah yes, the topic of Sasuke. She decided to try and find out more. After all, if she ever got out of this alive, she could provide the hokage with much needed information that might help the Konoha-village. "What do you want Sasuke for?" She asked boldly. Truth be told, she didn't expect an answer, but Itachi seemed bored enough to answer her, probably thinking he wouldn't let her live to tell anyone else. "I need to get rid of him now." He answered.

"Why now all of a sudden, are you scared he's getting stronger then you?" No angry expression flared on Itachi's face, none whatsoever, and Sakura wondered if the guy was even able to feel at all anymore, or if he ever had been. "The truth is, I left him and only him alive." Itachi responded. "But now, he's thinking about continuing the Uchiha-clan." He sighed as if weary. "I don't want anymore trouble with the stupid clan, and so I think the time has come to kill off the last Uchiha besides me."

Sasuke wanted to continue the clan? To have children? Is that why… "Yes, that is why he tried to rape you, though he did not succeed." No expression still. "Which is good." No smile, no expression, nothing. And Sakura was getting pretty frustrated about the man before her being the lifeless puppet that he was. But she couldn't help but curse Sasuke at the same time, wondering why he couldn't choose another.

"It's because he loved you." Itachi said. He turned to Sakura, looking at her, with wonder in his eyes. "He loved where he should hate, and that is why he's weak." Sakura doubted Sasuke loved her though. What could Itachi know? Sasuke was just a jerk. "He also thought you'd be a good mother, to teach chakra manipulation to his children." Sakura growled. That could be a real reason though. "Foolish brother of mine." Itachi sighed softly and turned back to the entrance of the cave. "To go trough so much trouble for that brat."

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"They've stopped." Neji said calmly. Lee grinned triumphantly. "He is tired!" he yelled happily. "No." Neji reasoned. "He's expecting us." He stopped and so did Lee. "Expecting us?" Lee asked. "How?" Neji thought about it. "Perhaps I underestimated his sharingan. He was considered to be the genius of the Uchiha clan after all." Lee frowned. "Should we not confront him then?" Neji shook his head. Itachi wasn't that far away, but he wouldn't tell Lee that, not trusting him to stay put if he knew.

"This is dangerous. I thought he was waiting for Sasuke, so why would he wait for us?" He looked at Lee who was once again impatient. "Lee, how did you say Sasuke took off after you saved Sakura?" Lee blinked at the question but answered sure enough. "He just ran away." Neji frowned. "That doesn't sound like Sasuke Uchiha at all." Neji said, thinking it over some more. "He'll take revenge on you Lee, someday." This was actually a warning for his team-mate, but that's when it hit him.

"He wants you!" Neji screeched. "He doesn't use Sakura to get to Sasuke but to you!" Lee still didn't understand. "Why me?" Lee asked. "To lure Sasuke out." Lee frowned. "Why do that?" Neji couldn't answer that. "I don't know, something must've changed." He sighed. "Either way, it would be stupid to just barge in there now." Lee gasped. "But who knows what he will do to Sakura when he gets impatient?!" He yelled in hysterics. Neji shushed him.

"Quiet Lee!" he hissed. "I will keep my byakugan activated and when I see Itachi raise one hand against Sakura, we'll intervene, how's that?" Lee seemed to be doubting for a moment but he finally agreed. Neji did not mention Sakura's body was already pretty beaten up though. He would keep his promise when necessary, that's what mattered.

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"They've stopped." Itachi mumbled. Sakura sighed. That was a good thing. No response came from Itachi this time though. Had he cancelled the genjutsu cast on her? Perhaps she should distract him, to keep him from going after Neji and Lee himself. At the same time, she should really start healing herself. As she started it, trying not to be noticed by the still staring Itachi. She wondered how he could be so mesmerized by the outside like that, what was he looking at?

"What is the Akatsuki up to?" Sakura asked. She wondered how she could ask this so bluntly but still, she showed much bravery for doing this. "the 9 tailed beasts." Itachi said. "Collecting them." He sighed. "Nothing much to it." Sakura blinked. Nine tailed beasts? She didn't understand. "Where is the Akatsuki now?" She kind of felt like an interrogator, trying to beat answers out of a prisoner, and wondered why this went so easy, especially seeing how she was his captive. Was he so sure she wouldn't tell? Or perhaps that she couldn't tell.

"Here and there, close to Konoha." Itachi answered. Sakura's breath fastened a little bit, seeing how her chakra was being overused. She thought she was healed enough for now, she should really keep some chakra. But Akatsuki was close by? Why? "Why close to Konoha?" Sakura asked. "Our leader has unfinished business with a ninja in that village." Itachi answered. "with who?" "Maito Gai."

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And tah-dum! Anyone an idea why Gai would be targeted? Oh why, oh why? Come on, who knows? Do review please, and tell me what you think, I always love reviews.


	37. Unknown motives

A random question for the lot of you. Is it bad for me to update everyday? Because I read somewhere that some people rather have the story sink in before it's continued. What do you think? Okay, now my reviewers.

Panther eyes: Hahaha, it's not good indeed, it seems no one's guessed it. No problem, it's more fun like this. Don't worry, it's not stupid.

Gothic Saku-chan: Ahaha, don't worry, the impatience of my reviewers keeps me going. Here's the update you so crave.

Animelover5.6: hmm, okay eh? We'll have to see about that. Hmm, Sasuke is kind of evil you know? He wouldn't rescue her!

Troublesome writer: Yeah, kind of another twist, you know I love those. Aaaw, I'm glad you like it. No, Orochimaru didn't attack Gai, he went after him not knowing it was Orochimaru, since that was his mission. Orochimaru isn't in the Akatsuki anymore either. Oh? Well, I guess I can come up with a reason in this story. Of course your human, and I love questions, they provide me with ideas at times, so thank you.

StrawberrySakuraChan: So that's what you think. Let me say this: guess again! Yeah, I hope nothing happens to those four either, they are the basis of my story after all, and I'd have to end it if anything happened to Lee (causing death eh) Thank you.

The16thday: well here's the next chapter. Oh, the excitement.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Puzzled? How so? Is something unclear? Do tell me, I can change it. You can't? Well, simply reading it is a good solution. Have fun!

And that's all of them. And so here's the next chapter. Wow, things are tensing up eh? Even I don't know what's to happen next. I can't wait, so I'll start writing right now!

On with it!

**_Unknown motives_**

Sakura gasped. Gai-sensei? Akatsuki's target was Gai-sensei? Normally that thought wouldn't have scared her as much as now, but Gai was still hurt, and badly at that. And even if he wasn't, the Akatsuki was still a dangerous group to watch out for. "But why Gai? Why?" Sakura asked. Itachi once more turned to her. "That is a question I cannot answer yet, not until I'm sure." Sakura blinked. "Sure of what?" Itachi kneeled down next to her, grasping a strand of her hair and tugging it slightly. "Until I'm absolutely sure that I can kill you with absolutely no way for you to escape me."

He seemed to examine Sakura for a moment before meeting her eye once more. "Have you healed yourself?" he asked, slightly surprised. Hah, so he could feel something. Sakura dared not answer him. She wasn't sure which answer would benefit her best. "It seems you did." Itachi answered for her, the black spots in his eyes twitching ever so slightly. "So you're a medic nin." Sakura didn't know why but she nodded. "Perhaps one more reason for my brother to have chosen you." Sakura sighed.

Was she always going to be burdened by Sasuke, because she had certain qualities? "No." Itachi answered. Ah, so he _was_ still reading her thoughts. "Right now, you're already pregnant." Itachi said. "He'll wait until you're capable of carrying children once more, or perhaps he won't do anything because you're tainted." Sakura growled. Tainted, yeah that would be it. If he really thought that, why would he still want to kill Sasuke. "Simply to be sure." Itachi responded. "To be sure."

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"Neji, are you sure we should just wait? What good will that even do?" Lee asked his team-mate. Sitting still was not something he was capable off, he needed to do something. "Sakura is holding up fine Lee, she even healed her wounds." Neji said. "What?" Lee responded, completely stunned. "So, she _was_ hurt, Neji, you lied to me!" Neji glared at Lee. "I didn't lie Lee, she was already hurt when we got here, but Itachi didn't even touch Sakura since we've been here, other then her hair."

"Her hair?" Lee asked. "Why?" Neji was getting a bit annoyed with Lee now. "How should I know Lee, I can't read other people's thoughts, now shut up!" Lee sighed and listened. What was he to do? "Neji…I am going to be a father." Neji didn't react like he normally would've. He smiled genuinely at Lee and nodded. "I know Lee, you already told me." Lee sighed. "What if something happens to my children, Neji, I will have failed already." He played with a leaf, tearing it slightly and slowly.

"Lee, you have failed no one." Neji said sternly. "Sakura and your children are alright, and they will stay that way." For some reason, Lee couldn't find comfort in Neji's words. "How can you be so sure Neji?" he asked, his face grim, his bottom lip quivering in sorrow and fear. "Because you're here to watch over them Lee, that's how." Lee looked up in surprise and into Neji's eyes. Since when had he become so caring, and gentle? "thank you Neji." Lee said.

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"Gee, why did you kill off the Uchiha clan anyways?" Sakura asked grimly. If Itachi was planning on killing her, she could just as easy be blunt. "They were getting way too arrogant." Itachi said. "They thought of themselves as all powerful, and I wanted to prove they weren't." Sakura gasped. What a gruesome reason. "Then why did you let Sasuke live?" she asked, dreading the answer. "I needed someone, not tainted by arrogance yet, to kill me off." Itachi responded. "You see, I think I'm almighty myself."

Sakura didn't know what to say. "But Sasuke has gotten arrogant himself I've noticed." Itachi said. "Even more then me, so he'll have to die." Sakura didn't care. She couldn't believe it but she didn't care. If Sasuke died, she wouldn't shed a single tear. He meant nothing to her anymore. "How cruel of you." Itachi said. He smirked. He actually smirked! The guy was starting to show more and more emotion.

This reminded Sakura of something. "Why did you say I was evil?" Sakura asked. She wanted to know so badly. "Because you're an evil woman." Itachi answered. "You get rid of guys as quick as a black widow." Sakura frowned. "several years ago, you told Sasuke you liked him more then anything, now you don't even care about him anymore. You make guys suffer and don't care that you do. You hurt others, only thinking about yourself." Sakura's eyes started to tear. "If you hadn't accepted Lee when you did… he would've killed himself." "What do you know?!" Sakura shouted. "You know nothing! Nothing at all!" Itachi calmly looked down at her.

"I may not show much emotion but that doesn't mean that I don't understand it." Sakura simply kept glaring at him. "You don't understand me." She said, fighting his harsh words. Deep inside though, she knew he had a point. "I have seen what you are in your own mind." Itachi responded. "You cannot hide from the truth." Sakura smiled. "How weak of you." She said. "Searching or people's weaknesses and doubts to overrule them." Itachi glared at her, as if warning her to shut up. Sakura didn't though.

"You have no strength at all, I'm sure of that." Sakura didn't know why she was doing this. She didn't know if she was foolish or brave at this point. And she didn't even know if she was even right. What she did see though, was that she struck a nerve. And a big one at that. Itachi was grinding his teeth. "How would you know?" he asked, clearly holding himself back at this point. Yet, Sakura couldn't stop the insults anymore. "It is so obvious, I don't even need a sharingan. It's written all over your face, especially at this point. You're angry because I'm right!"

It was clear Itachi had enough. With one quick movement, he let his hand connect firmly with Sakura's cheek, his knee hitting her in her stomach…hard! Sakura screamed, not because she was hurting but because of the knee, still planted in her gut. "You jerk!" she yelled. And without thinking, she trust her fist forward, chakra strengthening it, and made it connect with Itachi's gut in return, satisfied when the big bad Uchiha spit up a fairly large amount of blood. "Enough!" he coughed. "You die now!"

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"Lee, we must intervene now!" Neji alerted Lee. Without waiting for an answer he jumped down, knowing exactly where he had to go, to the cave. He ran as fast as he could, but found that Lee was way faster then him, not a surprise at all.

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Sakura raised her arm in a faint kind of defence when all of a sudden, Itachi pulled a sword from underneath his coat and slashed forward. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what was sure to happen. It _was_ sure to happen, right? Why wasn't there any pain? Had it come so quick that she hadn't felt it? Was she dead? She heard a faint dripping noise and opened her eyes slowly to find out what it was.

Her eyes met a gruesome sight though. In front of her, right there, was Rock Lee. The sword was deeply slashed into Lee's arm, but he had still been able to stop it. It seemed the sword didn't get trough his bones. "Lee!" Sakura screeched. She could only imagine how much it hurt. Neji, who had now entered the cave himself, was astounded at the sight himself. "Are you alright, Sakura?" Sakura almost cried. Why was his voice sounding so laboured? "Lee, why did you have to show up here?" she yelled.

"Because of my promise." Tears were now running down Sakura's cheeks as she was still staring at Lee's back, his blood running swiftly down onto the ground. "Ah, so you finally came out of hiding." Itachi commented, not at all surprised one bit. Lee said nothing. Oh, Sakura would've given anything to be able to look into Lee's eyes, to see what was going trough his mind right now. But she was unable to and could do nothing but cry.

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End chapter 37…right? Anyways, with this chapter I reach 70000 words. Yay! Now for my new goal. 80000 words. And people, please respond to my question above, okies. Buh-bye for now!


	38. To protect a precious person

"sighs happily" look at those reviews I got. I am so happy you guys! Well, it's decided then, I will keep on updating every day! Thank you!!!

Bobalu: indeed it would hurt! Itachi is always that way, you know? And about the babies, well… you'll find out.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Wow, shocked? Aaaw thanks, then I will keep on updating every day. Yay! I hope the twins will be alright as well.

The16thday: hmm, well, most people found it better I update every day so that's what I will do, thank you for telling me what you think though.

RaeVenn: Do you have any idea how excited your chapter made me? Hahaha, please, you don't need to beg, and yes, I will keep on updating every day, also thanks to you. The best out there I doubt very much. If you truly think that I would like to recommend you to the story "is it really better this way?" trust me, you'll love it. Well…what can I say? I love twists. And I am very proud of my more then 70000 words right now, so thanks for mentioning that. Aaw, you got me blushing massively! Thank you so much for your kind words.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Yes he did! Starting to get sad? Girl, this entire story is drama. Itachi has always been a big meanie, but Sakura got him back, didn't she? Thank you, I'm very proud of it. Aaaw, rising? You're too kind! I'm glad you look forward to my chapters though, yay! I will keep on updating every day, how's that?

Panther eyes: Heheh, who knows.

KankurosBandGeek2010: Really? I'm glad that you think so, it's set, I will keep on updating every day. Thank you.

Animelover5.6: Yeah, Itachi is a hard one to describe since we know so very little of them. Aaaw, for you? How van I say no to that? Alrighty then.

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you, here we go.

Kagome2004: You do? Well I'm glad. Thank you!

Van the Key of Lain: Indeed, and I think it's cool why the leader wants Gai. Yeah, I think a lot is happening at the same time too, it's so weird! I can't keep up with myself. Well, how is the ichi ichi book?

Sasuke121: Ideas for stories? You have an account? If so, could you please log in next time you review, perhaps I could check out those stories then? After all, I love all Leexsaku ficcies. Aaaw, talented? I'm glad you think so, thank you! I hope you'll like this chapter as well.

And that was all of them. A lot eh? I'm so happy! Best continue the story fast eh?

On with it!!!

_**To protect a precious person**_

Itachi pulled his sword back, releasing a new flood of blood from Lee's arm, causing him to groan in pain, and nothing more. "You sure are brave." Itachi commented. "Risking your life for this ugly, evil person." Sakura slightly winced at the statement. She might be ugly, and she might be evil at certain areas, but she would not be useless. She would not! If Lee had jumped in to save her, to help her, let his sacrifice not be in vain. She pushed herself up to stand in a fighting pose right next to Lee.

"Sakura is far from what you describe her to be." Came Lee's certain yet pained voice. "She is a beautiful flower, with the kindness only an angel can possess. And she is my precious person. I will protect her." Sakura gasped slightly as she recognized the line, and she was almost sure of the action that would follow. "Lee, I don't want you to." She whispered as she put a protective hand on his good arm. "You can't use the lotus, Tsunade said it would break you." Lee smiled at her. "Rather me then you, do you not agree?" Sakura glared at him. She was angry because he had gotten hurt because of her, she was angry that he was still so very kind while she had done nothing but cause him trouble.

Neji emerged from the shadows, sensing the urgency of the matter. Lee was paling fast, his blood still gushing away from his trembling body. He thrusted his palm forward to make it connect with Itachi's right arm. Sadly for him, Itachi dodged at the very last moment, jumping away from the scene. Sakura grasped this shy chance to do something for Lee. She shifted to Lee's left side swiftly and put her hands above Lee's arm. Yes, she was low on chakra, very low, but she had to do something. Her hands started glowing, while Lee examined her carefully.

"Sakura, are you sure that you want to be doing this?" he asked. Sakura didn't break her concentration. She simply gave a sharp nod as she tried mending the muscles, the veins and the flesh that had been cut so rudely. She only succeeded half since all of a sudden, Lee's good arm grasped her hands, stopping her. "Sakura, please stop now." Teary eyes met concerned ones. Sakura couldn't help but smile as she saw how some colour had returned to Lee's face. She looked back at his wound, and saw it was still bleeding. Not so severally but still rather bad.

"You're not healed yet, Lee." She argued, trying to pull her hands form his, but found that she simply lacked the strength. "Please keep your chakra." He said firmly. "For you and… our children." Sakura's eyes got teary all of a sudden. "Oh Lee, Itachi, he…" the rest of her words were muffled as she pressed her face against Lee's chest. Lee's eyes widened at her reaction. "He what? What did he do Sakura?" "A little help would be nice guys!" a distressed Neji yelled.

Both Lee and Sakura looked up to find Neji dodging the bloodied sword Itachi was still wielding. "Right!" they both said. But before they went, Sakura stopped Lee. Lee blinked at her in confusion as she ripped a part of her shirt off and wound it tightly around Lee's arm. "Don't overdo it" she said. "You too." Lee responded. And they both charged in the fight, to help Neji, to beat Itachi, both of them needing to go to the hospital, Lee because of his arm, and Sakura because of her worries, because of her fear for having lost her babies, for wanting to be sure they were safe.

Sakura made it a point to avoid eye contact with Itachi, even though she knew he still was able to read her mind. She drew back her arm and tried to hit Itachi full force as he immediately dodged her attack, as if reading her movements. "What is it Sakura?" he asked smoothly. "Worried?" Sakura let out a furious growl and kicked upwards, ending up kicking air. Itachi appeared behind her, whispering into her ear. "Perhaps they are dead now, what do you think?" Sakura was about to hit Itachi sideward when a green blur suddenly connected with the Uchiha. "Leave her alone!" Lee yelled and kicked Itachi harshly against his kneecap.

Neji once more thrusted his palm forward, this time hitting Itachi directly where his heart was supposed to be. Itachi retaliated though, by cutting Neji with his sword, a huge bloodied scar visible across his chest. Sakura drew back her fist once more, and made it connect with Itachi's face, feeling how she scattered the man's jaw. Itachi himself seemed to have not expected this kind of resistance. As he flew towards the exit of the cave, he flipped in midair, landing shakily on his feet, his sword now somewhere on the ground, already forgotten. "You evil wench, I hope they're dead." And he grinned.

Sakura gritted her teeth in anger, trying not to let her tears fall. Lee looked at her, not understanding what Itachi had meant by saying that, or perhaps he didn't want to understand. Neji simply awaited Itachi's next move, carefully planning how to take him down. "It seems I have underestimated you, but next time, I won't be alone!" Anger, hate and perhaps fear, even a little bit of triumph. Those were the emotions Sakura could see going trough Itachi's mind, before the man ran off, disappearing. Sakura would've run after him, but suddenly, she collapsed on her knees. She had used too much chakra, that was for sure.

She gasped heavily for air, as she found Lee quickly kneeling down next to her. "Sakura, are you alright?" he asked. "Yes, just a little bit tired." Sakura responded. She felt so weak, while Lee was caring so much for her, his arm still not fully healed, his face turning slightly pale yet again. "We need to get you two to a hospital." Neji said, noticing the poor condition of the two. "Lee, you can walk, right?" Neji asked. "Of course I can Neji." Lee answered. "Then I will carry Sakura." Neji said. Lee seemed to want to protest but one look from Neji shut him up. His arm wouldn't be able to take the pressure, he understood this.

And that's how they took off, Neji in the front, with a slightly embarrassed Sakura in his arms, and a wounded, worried and slightly jealous Lee trailing closely next to him. His main worry right now was Sakura, but he could only hope that his now trembling legs would be able to carry him all they way back to Konoha.

Lucky for Lee, they were, they were even able to carry his body all the way to the hospital. He sighed as the hospital came in view once more. It seemed they visited the place way too often to his own liking. They barged in trough the doors, finding how a nurse came running towards them. The absence of their hokage seemed eerie for some reason, as if this place was suddenly strange and unknown. Nonetheless, they needed to be here and Sakura needed to be looked after, even without Tsunade.

Neji seemed all too familiar with procedure as he walked over to the nurse, Sakura still cradled in his arms, her eyes closed in exhaustion, her mind slowly drifting away into slumber, not quite wanting to give up just yet. Before she fell asleep, she would need the answer to a very urgent question. "These two people got hurt pretty badly and need direct attention." Neji stated firmly, staring into the nurse's eyes, as if persuading her. The nurse seemed to understand Neji's high ranking position and nodded.

After the explanation of the nurse as to what to do, Neji slightly turned his head and motioned for Lee to follow him as he walked to an elevator, going to the second floor. When they got there, they went into the very first door they saw, and into a room with two beds and a window. If there had only been one bed, the room would've looked exactly like the one where Lee had stayed after Gaara had crushed his arm and leg. Neji placed Sakura carefully onto one of the beds and sighed. "You should be looked after any moment now." He assured Lee. "Don't worry."

"Wow Neji, you must have a very high influence here." Lee commented, surprised of the fact that they were able to cut in front of many people. "Let's just say they owe me a big favour here." Neji answered. "But I must leave now, I will come back later though, alright?" Lee nodded and watched Neji leave the room. After he did, Lee felt how all of a sudden, his legs were about to give up, and he decided to go sit on Sakura's bed. She seemed to be sleeping but Lee felt she wasn't really.

He caressed her cheek softly, wondering why such a beautiful angel had to be hurt so severely over and over again. All he wanted was for her to be safe, but she kept on getting herself into trouble. What was faith planning for her to make her suffer so? Just when he was about to draw his hand back, a smaller one clasped it weakly. "Lee, are you alright?" came Sakura's tired voice. Her eyes opened slightly and Lee shot her a reassuring smile. "Of course I am Sakura, thanks to your healing." He responded. Sakura smiled. "That is good to hear, but you look awfully pale."

Lee's smile vanished. Surely, he was feeling quite miserable right now, more like, he felt like he could faint any minute now, but still, his flower was suffering and still she cared more about him. "Sakura, you truly must watch out with your chakra." Lee said. "I would hate to see you…" his voice shut down. He couldn't even speak of it, knowing he would pull himself into a deep depression. Sakura smiled at him. "I will Lee, I promise." She said, noticing Lee's change in mood.

Before anything else could happen, the same nurse from earlier entered. She inspected the scene before her and sighed. "Sir, could you please take place on the other bed?" she asked. Lee nodded and shakily walked to the other bed, sitting on it. "Let me take care of you first, sir." The nurse said, stepping towards Lee. "No, please look after Sakura first." Lee answered, glancing at Sakura. To his surprise, he found Sakura was glaring at him. "Lee, don't be a fool." She said wearily. The nurse had ignored his request and now inspected the arm.

It was clear what she had to do. She had to sow Lee's flesh back together. And so she did. Lee didn't wince once, but Sakura seemed to not want to behold the sight and turned her head the other way. Seeing how Lee had sat still, not being difficult in any way, the job was done rather quickly. The nurse bandaged it after her treatment, telling Lee he couldn't take it off for at least two weeks, and that he needed to return in three weeks. "Also…" she added. "No training in those three weeks!" She had heard of this boy and his preposterous attitude towards training.

Lee was about to protest but found Sakura once again glaring at him, so he shut his mouth tightly, simply nodding. Sakura smiled at him after that. "Now, let's have a look at you, miss." The nurse said, now turning towards Sakura. She examined Sakura slightly, quickly seeing what was the problem. "You overused your chakra." The nurse said. Sakura had to keep herself from growling. She knew this. The nurse simply placed her hands above Sakura's body, sending some of her chakra into Sakura. This caused her to feel refreshed and awake all of a sudden.

"Thank you." She said, addressing the nurse. "Well, it seems you two can go now, but you need to rest and…" "er…nurse…" Sakura interrupted. Lee looked at her. Why did she look so worried? What was wrong? "I have received a punch in my stomach earlier." Sakura stated. The nurse didn't seem to understand the harm of that but Lee gasped horribly. "The thing is…" Sakura continued. "I am pregnant." The nurse's eyes widened. "I wondered if you could please check if… you know…everything is…okay?"

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And that concludes this chapter! Victory! Man, you guys have no idea how hard it was to get Lee to come down from the tree. When I finally realized Itachi would have to attack Sakura, I was wondering how the hell Sakura would get him mad, and then finally, I realized I had never seen Itachi use a physical attack before! Argh! The horror! So, I simply gave him a sword.

Stupid rambling of mine, please review!


	39. Conclusion of battle scars

Hahaha, you guys crack me up! None of you even have an idea of what the babies will be like and yet, you're all practically begging me to keep them alive. I love the way all of you seem to get into the story so much. So, thank you all! Now, to answer the reviews I've gotten.

Raven's soul sister: well, it's not really elective, but I'll keep that in mind.

The16thday: Yup, as always, I love to do that. Haha, it really would suck wouldn't it? Don't worry, you'll find out right now.

Animelover5.6: Hahaha, yes, I'll do it again, is this soon enough? Yup, the babies! But Lee is alright. Good! Thanks for your review.

The ruby wolf: No problem! Aaaw, I don't want you to cry! We'll see if they are alright.

Bobalu: Well, I'm afraid you have no choice! But here's the chapter. Yup, twins. Er…gah? Hahaha, once again, you make me laugh.

Gothic Saku-chan: Sakura will be alright, that's for sure…but oh, the twins… we'll see.

RaeVenn: Your review is still long! Great at fight scenes? I found them to be awfully difficult to write. Wow… I love the way you explained that. Thank you! I'm glad you like it, heheh, I have been writing like that all my life

Panther eyes: aaaw, so much pleading! Well, read and find out I suggest.

And that's all of them. I'm pretty sure that after this chapter I'll have reached 300 reviews. Yay! That would be awesome. And I still can't see the end of this ficcie, but I will never give up! Because I have lovely reviewers who always seem to get me in the mood for writing.

On with it!!!

_**Conclusion of battle scars**_

Lee came to a shaky stance, as if trying to wake up from a dream, or in this case, a horrible nightmare. "Sakura, y-you are joking are you not?" Lee asked, truly hoping she was but really knowing that Sakura would never lie about this sort of thing. Once again, he found himself to be right as Sakura nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Lee frowned as if thinking about something painful. He once more sat himself down next to Sakura and pulled her into a hug. "Everything will be alright." He whispered. "I know this, for you are their mother."

The nurse coughed awkwardly. "May I ask you a few questions?" she asked. Sakura nodded, her arm finding its way around Lee's waist, as if asking for protection. "When was it that you received this blow?" the nurse asked. Sakura rubbed her eyes slightly. "I think about an hour ago." The nurse frowned. "An hour? Were you on a mission?" Sakura closed her eyes as the memories of previous events filled her mind. Lee glanced at the nurse, sensing the distress in his flower. "I do not believe that is of much importance." He commented. The nurse nodded. "I apologize, I didn't mean to intrude." She said. "er… How far are you? In your pregnancy, I mean."

Lee felt Sakura's hand tighten around him and simply tightened his own embrace. He knew they were both very scared for their children, but his flower needed his support right now. "One month." Came Sakura's shaky response. The nurse frowned. "One month? I'm afraid I can't check on anything if it's only been a month." Both Lee and Sakura stared at her in horror. They had to wait for the conclusion? "But I guess I can get Tsunade-sama to take a look at you." She continued. Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She noticed how Lee did the same. "Could I ask of you to wait here?" the nurse asked. Sakura gave no response, and Lee simply nodded. He didn't feel like responding much either. He knew his throat wouldn't cooperate with him right now. He felt as if he would burst into tears the moment a single word escaped his lips. Even trough the distress, the fear, the anxiety and the love Sakura was feeling right now, she couldn't help remembering a certain thing Itachi had said to her. The something that Lee would like to know as well. The something she wished wasn't true after all… but still…

"Lee, I-I must tell you something." She whispered. She felt a hand stroke her cheek lovingly and a pair of lips pressed against her forehead. "Please do tell me, Sakura." Came Lee's soothing voice. Oh, she really didn't want him to worry right now, but it was her duty to him. "It's about Gai-sensei." Sakura whispered. She felt Lee tense up slightly. "What about him Sakura?" his voice was still as soothing as ever though. "It's something Itachi told me." She took a deep breath, deciding not to postpone things any longer. "Itachi told me the leader of the Akatsuki was after Gai-sensei."

The embrace Sakura had been held in was suddenly taken away from her, and she looked up slowly to meet with dark eyes. "Sakura, do you believe he told you the truth?" Lee asked. Where had the soothing tone gone to? Did his voice _have_ to sound so harsh all of a sudden? "I don't know, I couldn't find any proof and…" "No, Sakura, do _you_ believe it was the truth?" Oh, how Sakura longed for the embrace to be given back to her. She felt so cold and lonely all of a sudden. "I do." She responded. She finally took her own eyes away from the dark ones that had been staring at her.

She sighed. Was it really true? Was she second to Gai? Right now, there was a wonderful chance to find out. She looked up to smile at Lee but found his back turned to her, his head resting in his hand, as if thinking. "Lee?" she tried. "I-If you would like to go to him now, y-you…" she sighed once more, her voice dropping into sadness. "You can." What she expected was the bed shifting because of someone standing up, the opening and closing of a door, and complete silence after that. What she didn't expect though, happened.

A hand was placed onto hers, resting softly on the bed. The hand was pulled and she fell forward against the warm, welcoming chest of Lee, arms yet again wrapping around her to hold her in the embrace she had been missing. She couldn't help but let tears fall out of her eyes. She was so happy. "Sakura, you did not truly believe that I was going to leave you alone right now, did you?" came Lee's questioning voice. Sakura's sobs became louder. She couldn't explain how relieved she was. "I did." She confessed. "If it was for Gai-sensei, I really believed you would." Her cries were now slightly muffled as she pressed her face entirely against Lee's chest. Once more, but only for a second, she felt Lee grow tense.

"It is hard for me to choose right now, but still I would have to choose you Sakura, you are the most important thing to me in the whole wide world, and beyond that." That was enough for Sakura. She relaxed, and her sobs decreased to a slight shaking. "You seemed so angry a moment ago." Sakura told Lee, as if he hadn't realized it himself. "I am sorry Sakura, it is just that so many things are happening at once." Sakura understood what he was talking about. Why was fate playing such a cruel joke on them?

"Sorry to bother you." Came a tired voice, as the door opened. Sakura's teary face turned away from Lee to look at Tsunade. She smiled at the fifth hokage, but only out of politeness. She didn't feel like smiling at all right now. Sakura's face made Tsunade's drop to one of concern. "Please don't worry so much Sakura." Tsunade said. She motioned for Lee to move out of the way and made Sakura lay down. "The babies growing inside of you are still very small, and are cushioned from most blows with the fluids around them."

This gave Sakura some hope, but she needed to know for sure. "I will check on you anyways." Tsunade said, sensing Sakura's worry. The girl was as easy to read as a book. Tsunade's hands glowed their green colour as they floated above Sakura's belly. She closed her eyes in concentration as Lee and Sakura watched her work in silence and hope. Finally, she opened her eyes again and smiled. "It's as I thought, nothing wrong." She said. Lee finally regained his wide grin and Sakura sighed in relief. Good, everything was alright.

"Now, since that is over, please report." Tsunade said. Sakura's face turned serious again. "It's Itachi." Sakura explained. "He kidnapped me to get to Sasuke." Tsunade frowned. "Sasuke? How would that guide him to Sasuke?" Sakura shrugged. "Long story, not relevant." She smiled. "I got a lot of information out of him though." Tsunade grinned at her. Her student truly was one of great value. "Tell me everything." Tsunade asked, her eyes tingling with pride.

And so Sakura did, Tsunade's eyes widening every now and then. "So our main goal would be to protect Gai-sensei, don't you think?" Sakura asked, knowing Lee would want the same thing. Tsunade nodded. "You're right, he should be watched constantly." She grinned. "And I know just the jounin for the job. He still needs to pay for being too late for a certain meeting. We had to wait three hours for him." Sakura couldn't help but laugh at this. Lee also had to suppress a chuckle. Tsunade smiled. "I'm glad I could lighten the mood a bit." She said. "And now, I don't want to see you in this hospital again before your children are born, am I understood?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, Tsunade-sensei." Tsunade sighed. "You two won't have any missions for a long time, it would seem." Lee gasped. "But Tsunade-sensei, I need to fulfil my nindo and I cannot do that when…" "Lee, you will do as I say. If I say no missions, it's no missions!" Tsunade interrupted, winking at Sakura. "Your mission is to take care of Sakura for now, soon your wife to be if I heard correctly." Sakura and Lee blushed. They had almost forgotten about that, with everything going on and stuff.

"That will prove to be difficult enough Tsunade-sama." Lee joked. Sakura playfully hit him on the head. It seemed all stress and despair was finally leaving. It seemed. But deep inside Sakura's heart, it remained, as she feared for what else could happen, seeing how she was a ninja, and would forever be a ninja, just like Lee. She didn't want her children, when finally born, to fall without parents like Lee, or even now, Sakura herself. This was a fear that seemed to remain. What she didn't know though was, that Lee had realized something was bothering her. He would have to talk to her, seeing how his flower was plunging herself into despair once more. He would do anything to be her lifeguard. Anything. And he couldn't help but smile when knowing that she would accept him too.

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And stop. Alright, now that was chapter 39. Don't forget to review and keep me writing eh? Buh-bye now.


	40. Arrival

Wow "blink" to tell you guys the truth, I thought last chapter kind of sucked, and then I suddenly get 11 reviews! I am so happy Now before I answer my reviewers, a summon… where are you, troublesome writer? "cough" yeah. Now to answer you all!!!

Raevenn: Yup, she is mean. Er… why do you think so? Yeah, got an idea of why the leader wants Gai yet?

Animelover5.6: Heheh. Fine, one more time. This soon enough? Yeah, I hope Gai will be okay too, but do remember, this is a drama-ficcie.

Narutolover1993: I'm really glad you liked it. Er… I tried to send you a message but something weird happened and I'm not entirely sure if you've gotten it. Also, keep in mind that when you try to send e-mail addresses or links trough a review they don't show. Thanks for your review!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Don't worry about it. You know, today I was stressing a bit because I got so much homework I wasn't sure if I could even write this. Aw, come on, think about it! Well, this is a drama-fic.

Sasuke121: Always happy to inspire me. Do tell me when you upload your stories, alright? Intense mood? You really think so? That kind of relieves me. Thank you.

The Rogue Stallion: hahaha, alright, alright.

Bobalu: "blink" Kakashi? I was actually referring to a different kind of jounin, but… well, I think Kakashi would be a better one eh? Hmm… smart of you, will you be angry with me if I use your idea?

Gothic Saku-chan: I will, I will, here's the update. Chapter 40.

Panther eyes: You have? I'm glad you took the time to think about it, and you will find out, sooner or later.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Aaaw, well, stop worrying, now's the time to worry about Gai.

The16thday: aaw, get a good night's sleep then. Here's the next update. Hope you like it.

And that's all of them. Now, to start off chapter 40. Man, so much is still going on! The wedding, the mystery around Gai (I'm so sure you'll all be shocked when you do find out) and the upcoming birth… so

On with it!!!

_**Arrival**_

Lee opened the door to his home, stepping aside to let Sakura in. "You need to rest now." Lee told her sweetly, gently pushing her towards the bedroom. "Well, you do too, Lee." Sakura reminded him. Sure, his wound was closed, but he had lost a lot of blood, and that was still visible. "I apologize Sakura, but you must understand that I would like to go see Gai-sensei now." Sakura nodded. "Yes, I suppose." She embraced him, snuggling her head underneath his chin. "When will you be back though?" Lee enjoyed the ticklish sense of Sakura's hair, smiling as he realized all over again that she was his, and that they indeed had a life together.

"I promise I will not be long." He answered softly. "for I will have you waiting for me." He pulled back out of the embrace, kissed Sakura one last time, stroking her hair gently, and leaving again. Sakura couldn't help but feel safe, even though Lee had just left, after all, she could always rely on him it seemed. She placed a caring hand on her belly, sighing in relief one last time. The past few events had been quite stressful indeed, but she survived trough it all. She could only hope that the bad surprises were over now.

She decided to go to sleep, just like Lee had asked her to. Not noticing, not seeing the pair of eyes, spying, waiting and craving. Lurking in shadows not even visible in the light, watching her go to sleep, and still waiting, for as long as they had to.

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Lee casually walked trough the streets of Konoha. He knew Gai was no longer in the hospital since he could already walk with crutches. He had to roam around Konoha somewhere. Lee knew that his sensei hated staying inside. But he couldn't be training either since he had promised, and Gai was not a man to go back on his word. Lucky for Lee, a grown man wearing a green jumpsuit, a red Konoha headband, with bushy eyebrows, a bowl cut, being bandaged up to his toes was someone that could be found reasonably quick.

Especially when this man was loudly arguing with a normally lazy and indifferent, but now angry and stressed out jounin, only his right eye visible. Lee decided to be curious for once and listen in to what the two ninja were talking about. "I'm not a babysitter Gai!" Kakashi told the green man angrily. "I know this Kakashi, but it's not like I gave the order." Kakashi sighed furiously. "Worst of it all is that we don't know why I need to survey you 24/7." He eyed Gai suspiciously. "It's probably because you would go train otherwise, which makes this your fault!" Gai huffed.

"I never go back on my word Kakashi, you of all people should know this." He clumsily took a shaky step towards Kakashi, said jounin's eye shifting from angriness to concern for a slight second, then switching back. "And I promised I wouldn't train. So I can assure you that's not it!" Kakashi started leaning against the wall. "Alright, alright. Let's say you're right, that could only mean you need protection." Kakashi eyed him. "You are in no condition to fight anyone after all." Kakashi lifted his hand to hold his chin, as if thinking.

"But why would Tsunade expect for someone to attack you?" Gai shrugged with difficulty. "Maybe she wants to protect her most youthful jounin from any harm." Kakashi's eye twitched lightly. He chose to ignore this last statement. Lee decided this was the time he should get out. It seemed the conversation was becoming pointless anyways. "Hello Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei!" he greeted happily as he walked towards the two jounin. "And here's the other part of the mystery." Kakashi said. "What do you mean Kakashi?" Gai asked.

Lee grew nervous as Kakashi's good eye inspected him. "I mean Lee, Neji and Sakura have been gone for quite some time, for an entire night, and no one wants to tell us why." Lee could only guess that Tsunade had wanted to keep things a secret for now. "It's probably nothing Kakashi, what could've happened?" But then, with the speed of lightning, Kakashi grabbed Lee's wounded arm, pulling it closer to get a better view at it. Lee could only grit his teeth in pain.

"Where did this wound come from, Lee?" Kakashi asked. Lee slightly gasped as his arm shifted slightly yet painfully in Kakashi's grasp. "Kakashi, stop it, you're hurting him." Gai practically yelled. Lee was sure Gai would've knocked him aside, had he been able to. All he could manage though was another shaky step, resulting in him starting to breath fairly hard. In how much pain was he really? Kakashi let go though, and Lee pulled back his arm, glad he had gotten it back.

"That still leaves our little problem." Kakashi continued. "You know something more, don't you?" he asked. Lee gulped. Kakashi saw that he was striking Lee with nervousness and sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry." He said. "But you must understand how frustrating this is for me. I have to watch over someone, not even knowing what I'm supposed to protect him from." He watched how Gai was still glaring at him, as if hoping Kakashi would drop dead if he kept it up long enough.

Lee sighed. "I do understand, sir." He said. "And I truly do not wish to keep this from you, but I did not realize that Tsunade-sama wishes to not let you know." He sighed once more, this tile in defeat. "But I feel as if I truly must tell you since there will be a higher chance of you being ready when the threat finally shows itself." Kakashi blinked. So, Lee would tell him after all. He glanced jealously at Gai. He really brought forth some great students. But then he smiled, knowing that he did too.

"It is the Akatsuki." Lee said. Kakashi's eye widened, and Gai stopped breathing for a few students. "W-Why?" Kakashi stuttered. "I do not know." Lee admitted. "All I know is that the leader of the Akatsuki seems to want to handle some unfinished business with Gai-sensei." Kakashi turned to look at Gai who seemed to be as astounded as he was. "Do you have any idea Gai?" Kakashi asked, scanning him for any lies. "I truly don't." Gai answered. He seemed to be telling the truth. Kakashi turned back to Lee.

"But how do you know this, Lee?" he asked. Lee took in a shaky breath. "Sakura told me after Itachi told her." Kakashi frowned. "Itachi?" he asked curiously. "Yes." Lee said, his voice now barely above a whisper. "He had kidnapped Sakura, and she has gotten a lot of answers out of him, only the question as to why Gai-sensei is the target of Akatsuki has remained unanswered." Lee desperately wanted to leave now. Why was he being interrogated? But It was clear Kakashi wasn't done with him yet.

"Where is Sakura now, is she safe?" he asked. Lee defiantly looked up at Kakashi, almost angrily even. "You do not truly believe I would be standing here, if she was not, do you?" he asked. Kakashi sighed. "Yeah, yeah, alright. I'm sorry." He smiled inwardly though. Sakura had chosen someone good hadn't she? "That's my prized pupil!" Gai's booming voice suddenly sounded. "It seems I will have to take care of him then." Kakashi said in a voice that matched Shikamaru's when exclaiming how something was too troublesome. Lee bowed. "I thank you for doing so sir." He said. "I am glad to be able to trust on a skilled jounin such as yourselves."

He then turned to Gai. "I hope you will be alright sir." He said, worriedly. "Of course I will be, Lee." Gai said, smiling. "I have my worthy rival to look after me after all." Kakashi could only roll his eye at this. "Then I am only left with saying that I wish you well soon Gai-sensei." Kakashi smirked. He had never gotten this kind of respect out of his own students. What was it about Gai that had influenced Lee so much? Perhaps he would find out while protecting him. "Look after Sakura, alright Lee?" Gai said. "I will sir, do not worry." Lee said, saluting. "Goodbye Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei." Came his final greeting before he turned around to run off again.

Now he was sure that his sensei was alright. That had been quite a relief indeed. He knew he could count on Kakashi. He couldn't help but smile as he passed a few flowers that seemed to be the first of spring. "Soon, we will have our wedding." Lee said to no one in particular, not able to keep his happiness hidden inside of him, and not finding a reason to. "And I will have proven to the whole world that hard work truly pays off." He smiled. "After all, I have received the greatest treasure in the world." He stopped in front of his doorstep. "A family."

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A group of people, hidden behind dark cloaks, red clouds pictured on them, were standing on the top of a hill, looking over Konoha. Their cloaks were swaying gently in the wind, as one of them took his hood down, revealing long, blond hair. He turned himself towards the person standing at the top of the group, his hands placed on his hips in a nonchalant manner. "Is this where he's supposed to be?" he asked in a childish voice. He stretched out a hand and started playing with what seemed to be clay. "It is." A low, dark voice responded. The clay in the blond's hand took the form of a bird. "Well then, let's get this over with." The blond responded, the other people ignoring him completely. The bird in his hand flew up, reached a tree, sat down next to another bird and exploded, feathers and blood now raining down, announcing the arrival of the Akatsuki.

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The end! Just kidding! I would never end it here. You know me. Now, what I would like you guys to do is review me! You know how much I love that! I've already reached a total of 300 reviews. Thank you all so much! And this chapter happens to be the 40th. I am so happy! Thank you all, keep expecting more updates and keep reviewing. See you tomorrow.


	41. Sounds of mystery

Teehee, I just got back from a ping-pong match. And I totally suck! But Steven sucks even more then me, so I beat him. "sigh" yeah. Ignore this randomness. I'm happy to be able to start writing again, my feet hurt. Oh, and does anyone know who the blond guy in the Akatsuki is? No, I didn't make him up, perhaps some of you know him. Now, to answer my reviewers.

Panther eyes: Well, you only saw the arrival, and not the reactions so far. Also, you must count on the fact that most jounin are out on missions. He's… not lying, I'll tell you that. But he'll realize why soon enough. Maybe they do, maybe they don't.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Wow, I didn't understand that word at all, but alright. Sakura is fine so far, and Gai is… not fine, but you know this.

Bobalu: Well yeah, I was thinking of Neji, his alarm clock and stuff, remember? But Kakashi is a way better idea. Yup! I'm very proud, now chapter 41!

Gothic Saku-chan: interesting? Hahaha, such a funny way to put it.

The16thday: "cough" Orochimaru has left the Akatsuki a long time ago, even in the series, so no, that's not the reason. Itachi said they were after Gai, not kill, hahaha, mystery!

Animelover5.6: I hope not all of it made you laugh though. Yeah, I hope he'll be okay too. "shivers" but you never know with me, even I don't!

Honeyflower15: Aw, I'm glad you do! Here's the update.

KankurosBandGeek2010: Hahaha, I'm glad you think so! I hope you'll like this chapter as well then.

RaeVenn: Really? Then why did you start reading this one? I think it'll be in-progress for much longer though. I'm not very patient either, heh. Why Mediaminer?

Troublesome writer: Hey you! I understand completely, math sucks. Hahaha, yeah, I've reached a lot of limits. This chapter could possibly help me reach 80 000 words, but nothing is certain. It did? Wow, I don't want you dead! Ah, no problem, I understand, I hate math too. Aw, come on, guess why they would want Gai, if it's not in this chapter yet, that is…

The Rogue Stallion: er…geez. I'm not good at writing gore, really. Sorry, but I guess I can try…what would you like to see though? Please give me some hints. Hah, most people didn't want a sad ending, so I can assure you there won't be one.

ifTheFlameConsumes: Hiya! You liked the ending? I'm glad, I liked it myself too.

That was all of them! Ha, my brother just entered the room so I'd better hurry up and write this chapter. Just a quick question, do some of you reread some chapters, because if you do, that would solve a weird mystery…

On with it!!!

_**Sounds of mystery**_

Lee carefully twisted the doorknob. After all, he didn't want to wake up his beloved, now did he? He stepped inside, not making a single sound and closed the door. It was really dark inside. Had Sakura turned off all of the lights? He turned around and was just about to slide trough the darkness when he heard a strange sound. "Drip, drip" the dripping of something. But, what could that be? He struggled to find his way, still trying not to make a sound. Then, there it was again.

"Drip, drip, drip." Lee walked into the kitchen, examining the sink. No, there was no water running here. Yet still, there it was. "Drip, drip, drip, drip." Lee tiptoed to the bathroom. Perhaps Sakura had not twisted the knob of the shower very good or something. He opened the door to find nothing out of order. Yet still, he kept on hearing it, the annoying and intriguing sound of something leaking. "Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip." Lee sighed and decided to leave it for now. He turned towards the stairs to go up and found the sound to become even louder.

"Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip." Lee swallowed a lump in his throat he hadn't noticed. Why was he feeling this sudden anxiety? What was going on? He stopped at the end of the stairs, standing in front of the bedroom door. "Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip." He put his hand on the doorknob and found it was trembling. If it had been raining, he could've thought that the sound was made by a leak in the roof, but it wasn't and the sound remained a mystery. Lee decided to gather all of his courage, not understanding why he had lost it in the first place, and twisted the know, entering the bedroom.

He met even more darkness, but the sound was very clear now. "Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip." It was even starting to sound as the banging of a drum. But why? "Sakura, are you asleep?" Lee asked. No response came, not that he had expected any. He was probably just scaring himself but he had to make sure Sakura was alright, even if it meant waking her up. He would've checked to hear if anything was breathing but the stupid sound of something dripping kept him from doing just that. So he turned on the lights…

…And he met a gruesome sight. There she was, his beautiful flower, hanging from a rope, her wrists and neck slit, her blood dripping on the hardwood floor. And next to her came the smiling, no grinning form of Uchiha Sasuke. Lee could do nothing but scream.

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"Lee, would you wake up already?!" A panicked voice yelled. Lee felt how someone was shaking him and he opened his eyes in shock. He found himself to be screaming and quickly shut himself up. He looked at Sakura, who was checking him over rather worriedly. Lee felt the hot wetness of tears on his cheeks and wiped them away. And then he hugged Sakura, and he hugged her tight. Sakura patted him on the back, a little awkwardly. She wasn't sure what was going on.

"Don't worry Lee, it was just a bad dream." She soothed. What was it that had shaken up Lee so badly, while he normally was so strong? "Sakura, I am so glad you are still alive!" came Lee's loud, yet sad voice. Sakura froze for a second. What _had_ he been dreaming off? She decided not to ask. Over Lee's shoulder, she looked out of the window. It seemed it was still dark outside. She sighed. When she had woken up because of a struggling, screaming and crying Lee next to her, she had gotten into such a panic, that it had woken her up completely. She would never be able to go back to sleep now.

Lee calmed down quick enough though. He had been able to hear, see, smell and touch the one he loved. He had been able to make sure she was alright, and had found no troubles. "Drip, drip." "What is that?!" Lee almost screamed. "Shh, Lee, it's only starting to rain." Sakura answered in slight shock, not quite sure what the problem was. And indeed, soon enough, the few droplets that had hit the window were turning into a huge downpour, not being noticed by anyone but the two chuunin who were now awake and in each other's arms.

Sakura decided she wanted to try and lighten the mood, and perhaps release herself from the embrace that was still so overly tight and now getting extremely warm. "So, how was Gai-sensei?" Sakura asked. Only the sounds of a muffled voice reached her ears and she sighed. "I didn't catch a word of that Lee." Lee pulled back slightly, turning his head so Sakura couldn't see his tears. "Gai-sensei is being watched by Kakashi-sensei right now." Came Lee's still shaken voice. The sound of its sad tone broke Sakura's heart, a few tears waiting in the corners of her eyes.

"And, he will protect her?" Sakura couldn't stop her voice from trembling and found that Lee's head was turned back towards her. The look in his eyes was what finally made her tears fall. She closed her eyes to try and block out all other visions. She pulled up her right hand and slightly touched her lower lip with it. Why was she afraid of this sadness right now? She was once more pulled into a hug, only this time it was comforting. "Why are you crying Sakura?" Lee asked. His voice was only filled with concern this time.

"Because you're so sad, it breaks my heart." Sakura responded, now wrapping her arms around Lee's waist. He was so strong. "I am sorry Sakura." Lee answered softly. "It is just that my dream was not really a happy one. But it was only… a dream." he pulled his head back so Sakura could see it and smiled. Sakura saw it was a real smile, that it was genuine, and felt her heart free its wings to soar once more. She couldn't believe she loved him so much, her own heart hurt when his did.

"Sakura, why are you worried?" Sakura was slightly taken aback by the question. What did he mean by that? "I don't understand what you mean, Lee." Sakura said. Their hug was finally broken and they now sat turned to face their counterpart. Lee's hand grasped Sakura's, his face smiling soothingly, dried tears still visible on his face. "I sensed it in the hospital." Lee explained. "I noticed that you were worrying about something and I only wish to help you get rid of those worries."

Sakura smiled weakly as her thoughts flooded back to her. "It's nothing, Lee." She responded. She felt a very small and almost unnoticed jerk on her hand, almost as if Lee's body had just given a twitch. "Sakura, please, I truly wish for you to tell me what bothers you." Sakura sighed in defeat. "I was only thinking about the future of our children." She explained as her free hand trailed her belly. She found she often did this lately. "I'm afraid that at some point, they won't have their parents anymore, just like me, and… you."

She looked up to face Lee's sad expression once more but found him to be smiling instead. She blinked in surprise. "Sakura, you do not truly believe that I would allow you to die, right?" Lee asked. "And you do not believe that I am not strong enough to defend myself right?" Sakura opened her mouth to answer but found that no words came out. "And if I am not strong enough, I will train even harder, I will learn better techniques and I will prove the world once more, that hard work is better then natural talent and can beat anyone." Sakura smiled. Lee truly had a way with words. He always seemed so honest and true, she simply had to believe him.

"You're right Lee." Sakura said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you." Lee reached out to tuck another strand of hair behind her other ear and kissed her nose cutely. "Anything for you my beautiful angel." He said smiling.

BOOM

Lee and Sakura jerked up and both quickly walked to the window to try and find out what was going on. What _was_ going on?

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"Deidara, what are you doing?!" a voice hissed. Deidara ran a hand trough his blond hair, grinning childishly. "I'm sorry." The mouth in his hand closed again. "Sorry? You must've alerted the entire village with that explosion!" Deidara sighed. "Look, he was just ticking me off, yeah?" he said, referring to the burned, black body of what used to be a ninja of the Konoha village.

"Stop it, you two." Came the deep, dark voice of Akatsuki's leader. "For now, let's stop our attack, but we will attack at dawn." Deidara lifted his hood back over his head. "Alright leader, then I will go fetch something to eat in the village, yeah?" A firm hand clasped his though. "Don't even think about it." Deidara sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll wait till after the attack." A few others sighed heavily.

As the group placed themselves completely hidden in the shadows of the forest, looking over Konoha village, Itachi stared at the black body in front of him, wanting desperately to find Sasuke and make him look that way too. But even more, he had to take his revenge on a certain girl that managed to escape, and had probably spilled all his secrets. He wouldn't tell this to his leader though, not until he was sure… sure that their attack was indeed expected. He stared in front of him, at the lone house with the lights turned on, his face blank and void of any emotion. It was simply another house among the others, whether the light was on or not. Light and dark simply were the same, they both ended up in a gray nothingness.

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I quit! Not really, but I will with this chapter. I hope you guys like it, I know I do! Please review and keep me happy! "grin". I think I might've reached 80 000 words with this, if I did, my new goal is 90 000!


	42. When dawn comes

Aaaw, did no one fall for the nightmare? I thought it would prove to be so very successful too! Oh well… I guess it can't be helped, now can it? I'll just start answering my reviewers now.

Bobalu: You did? I know, I loved writing it. Well yeah, they have to attack sometime! And yes, I did reach 80 000 words, thank you, now for the 90 000.

Animelover5.6: Oh, you did fall for it? Wonderful! Success!!! When is Akatsuki not up to something bad? Enjoy this chapter!

Sasuke121: Your friends showed you my fanfics while she hates Leexsaku? Strange…Well, Deidara is my favourite character in all of the Akatsuki! Good luck with convincing her!

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you! Yeah I wanted dawn because Akatsuki means dawn. "grin"

Panther eyes: Aw, it did? I hope it's healed already. Yup, lots of blood will surely flow.

RaeVenn: Ah, you liked promise in reverse? I'm glad. The things is, I can't seem to find any Leexsaku fics on mediaminer…Aw, I am so honoured that you think so! I'm really glad that you like my story so much. I hope I don't disappoint you then.

Troublesome writer: Heheh, maybe it meant something, maybe not, I just wanted to start the chapter off with that, I liked doing that too. What do you mean, Sakura is in trouble? "grin" she is simply inside with Lee you know. No trouble…yet. Yup, I did reach 80000, now 90000

The Rogue Stallion: Haha, yeah, but now I feel stupid for that question because I kind of revealed it in the last chapter. Ah, you want to see the Akatsuki in action then? Alright, I'll see what I can do, sooner or later.

And that's all of them! Now, to continue with the story. Oh, guess what, I just now drastically hurt my left leg and left arm, sure, they're not crushed but they still hurt, something I can't translate snapped, haha. It hurts but I can't help but feel aligned with Lee all of a sudden.

On with it!!!

_**When dawn comes**_

Sakura sighed heavily. "Is this village truly never at peace?" Lee blinked at her calmness. "Sakura, this could be a very bad situation, why are you acting so casual about it?" he asked her. Sakura smiled at him. "Nothing bad will happen, when you are here, right?" Lee sighed and pulled her closer to him, his arms pushing her against him, he himself blankly staring out of the window. True, he would give his life to protect the girl in his arms, and the beautiful package she was carrying but he was but one man, a man with limits at that.

If the Akatsuki was to suddenly attack, them being a strong and organized group, he would have to make sure Sakura didn't get involved. And also, there was Gai-sensei. "Do you think it's them?" Sakura's muffled words suddenly sounded. Lee released her and looked her in the eye. "Perhaps, perhaps not, but we bust be careful either way." Lee took Sakura's hand and led her to the bedroom once more. "Try and get some sleep." He said. "I will go investigate." He turned to leave when suddenly, he felt a body being pressed against his.

"Please come back, Lee." Sakura said. "Can you promise me that?" Silence leaked into the room for a few seconds, when Lee suddenly responded with a soft "alright", after which he gently release himself from Sakura's grasp and walked out of the door, leaving a very worried Sakura behind. The fact that Lee hadn't even turned around while saying that, and that he didn't show off his nice guy pose or toothy grin made her worry extremely. Lee wasn't sure, and she could sense this. Long after Lee had left, Sakura found herself standing there, still thinking.

And all of a sudden, her worry changed to courage and determination. "I'm not simply going to stay here." She mumbled. She ran a hand trough her hair and smiled. "I'm not going to watch your back Lee, for I will be right there, next to you." She opened the door, facing the rain that had started earlier. "I will not wait here if I can help keeping you alive." She looked one last time inside the house, smiling at nothing in particular. "And then I will never be alone in here." She closed the door, determined to go after Lee and prove that she too could be useful, that she too could protect someone precious. A pair of eyes, one that had been there for a long time now, going on unnoticed, watched her leave, ready to wait for her return, once more.

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"Kakashi, please, I can be alone for 5 seconds!" Gai couldn't believe this was happening but Kakashi was actually annoying him. "Orders are orders Gai." Kakashi said, reading his icha icha book as he slouched in Gai's couch. "Fine, then I guess I'll go take a walk outside." Gai said, grinning mischievously. He was rather sure that Kakashi wouldn't follow him in the downpour. He slowly walked to the door and opened it, breathing in the fresh scent of the night. Just as he was to take another step, he felt a hand on his shoulder though.

"It's unhealthy to go out with this weather, Gai." Kakashi said, his book being tucked away neatly by his free hand. "Kakashi, my esteemed rival, truly, I find it hard enough to handle that you have to watch my every move." Gai breathed in deeply, readying the next sentence he was about to spout. "But I don't need any health advice to top it off. I am perfectly healthy." He weakly pushed Kakashi away. "I run laps in this weather and not get sick." Gai didn't even grab a coat, and simply walked out. He was about to close the door behind him when he found an obstacle. He looked over his shoulder to find Kakashi standing there.

"Are you truly going to follow me, even now?" Gai asked in surprise. "You do understand that you won't be able to read in this weather, don't you?" Kakashi chuckled. "I am capable to keep myself busy with other things too Gai." Kakashi answered. Gai simply sighed and slowly started walking. Kakashi wasn't going to say a thing, simply for not having to worry Gai, but he had sensed a few forms of Chakra that didn't feel all too promising. Also, the explosion from earlier that had awoken Gai, wasn't from the microwave, as Kakashi had told Gai, but from outside. And an explosion never proved to be a good thing. If there was a time to protect Gai, that time would be now.

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Lee sighed as he found himself to be completely drenched already. He had to keep going though. Making sure that nothing was up was of the utmost importance right now. Why was it that it seemed to rain every few days lately? He was going to get sick from it sooner or later, he was sure of this. Lee shrugged off his own thoughts and looked to his side as he saw the shimmering of a few beams of light. "Ah, sunrise." He whispered. He hadn't realized his nightmare had caused him to wake up so late, he had expected it to be midnight at most.

That too, he shrugged off though and kept on walking towards the hill on which he was sure the explosion had come from. The sun was creeping up next to him, signalling dawn. Wasn't this supposed to be a beautiful time of day? Why did it seem so very unsettling to Lee? He finally reached his destination to find signs of his worst fears simply laying there, proving something was up. But besides the black and burnt body of the unidentifiable ninja, there was no sign of anyone else. Where had they gone to? Lee kneeled down, to find a few pieces of clay on the ground. What in the name of God was going on?

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Sakura knew the bang had come from the mountain but she had felt the presence of some unknown people somewhere in the town. She desperately wanted to go check them out, realizing she would only get herself into trouble, but convinced that she would get herself out of it too. She was really thinking straight right now. If it indeed had been Akatsuki, they would go search for Gai, but as Lee had told her earlier, Kakashi was with him right now. So, she would be fine simply going to help them. Kakashi was a jounin after all, and he had been one for a very long time as well. Besides, if Gai was so important to Lee, she had no choice but to protect what he held dear if Lee himself wasn't there to do this himself.

The sight of some silhouettes in the rain pulled her out of her musing. She could clearly see the green man with the weird hair, and next to him had to be Kakashi. But the rain kept her from seeing their counterparts very well. All she could see was that there were six of them, and they all wore a long, black coat, with red clouds pictured on them, the rain drenching them thoroughly.

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"It seems we were expected, yeah?" Deidara growled childishly. "It seems we're getting sloppy, hmm?" No one answered, all ignoring the blond. "And here's your target leader." The recognisable voice of Itachi said. "Now, could we hurry up with killing him please?" Gai didn't seem to be scared. He was curious though. "Why would you want me dead?" he asked. "What have I ever done to you?" the man that seemed to be the leader simply chuckled. "It's not what you did, Gai, it's what I wasn't capable off." Gai simply watched as the man took off his hood, his eyes widening as he recognised the person in front of him.

"And that is beating you, my brother."

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Booya! Now, who saw that coming? Well? Well? Haha, either way, please review and tell me what you think. Reviews always brighten my day.


	43. Richt time, wrong place

Hello, hello. I must hurry this chapter since I've got babysitting duty tonight! Yay, making money! Okay, sorry. But first, I must, as I always do, answer my reviewers.

The Rogue Stallion: Insane? How so? Aw, you actually expected it? Oh well, I guess you're simply too smart for me. Good job!

xoSweetEscape: Yeah, what if… well, I'm glad I could surprise you.

StrawberrySakuraChan: your Lee's basketball…Game? Er…right. You were? Wonderful! So my nightmare had that effect on someone at least. And I'll update but YOU must as well!

Animelover5.6: yay, plot twist! Glad you liked it.

Bobalu: Haha, yeah, shocking wasn't it? I'm glad you liked this, I sure enjoyed writing it.

RaeVenn: Someone did, but oh well…can't win them all eh? Glad you liked it!

The16thday: Cowardly indeed but oh well. You don't really think they can take them, do you? And don't forget about Sakura! Man, we're in for some fight.

KankurosBandGeek2010: Yeah, I like cliffies. Thank you for the compliment!

Panther eyes: Ah, the stalker. Well, I'm afraid that will remain the secret it is for now. No one knows. Yup, his brother. Recovered yet? Haha!

Troublesome writer: Yay, a twistie! Well, I would be so mad at myself if I ever got writers block, because I hate that! I simply love to write and I have a lot of imagination. Somethings I've thought up long ago, like, what if that happened? And some ideas I get from writing and some even from reviews! Thank you so much for the compliment, I truly am flattered.

Gothic Saku-chan: interesting indeed. Yay, Gai has a brother.

And that is all of them! Thank you all for your kind reviews! Now, to start the next chapter. Oh, and if anyone of you has an idea or a suggestion, please don't hesitate to tell me.

On with it!!!

_**Right time, wrong place**_

Kakashi found himself to be dumbfounded once more, as he switched glances between Gai and the leader of the Akatsuki who had just called Gai his brother. They didn't look alike at all. Perhaps it was all a joke? Kakashi didn't find anyone to be laughing though. The leader of the Akatsuki had auburn, messy hair, that seemed to be pointing in all kind of directions. His eyes were red and his skin was whiter then most people's skin. On his nose he had 3 black spots on each side. Gai grinned simply.

"Brother, you say?" he answered slyly. "The only thing I want to call you is half-brother, and you don't even deserve that." Gai humphed. "So, you're planning on attacking me when I am wounded? Are you really that much of a coward?" Kakashi was surprised by how calm Gai seemed to be in all of this, while normally, he wouldn't be calm even in a fighting situation! "Leader, do not let him speak to you like that." Deidara said angrily. "You should learn him to treat you with respect." The man simply raised his hand though, shutting Deidara up. He smiled at Gai. "Half-brother, as you are right." He answered. "But it's not my fault that your mother was a whore who abandoned you with our father."

Gai glared. "You're pushing it too far, Ken." He said. "It's not like your mother stayed any longer." Ken, as he was called, smiled. "I never said she did." He sighed. "It seems like you're still trying to lecture me, aren't you Gai?" Gai smirked. "I am your big brother after all." Ken opened his mouth to speak again but Kakashi interrupted him. "Gai, what is going on here?" Gai gestured at the Akatsuki leader, seeming reasonably lost all of a sudden.

"That man is my long lost younger brother." He explained, never taking his eyes off of Ken. "When we were children, our father taught us taijutsu to the best of his abilities." He smiled. "Ken was always so angry that he could never beat me though. I simply trained harder then him. Ken just didn't have the endurance." He shifted one of his crutches. "And then, one day, he got mad at our father because he thought he favoured me and killed him in his sleep. My poor father never saw it coming."

Gai's eyes narrowed to very tiny slits. "Then he ran off, and I've never seen him again. And now today, he stands here before me, as the leader of the Akatsuki." He snorted. "I can't help but wonder if he really thinks of him as so weak that he can only beat me in this state." Ken smiled. It seemed he had enjoyed remembering what he had done to his father, the stings of his brother having beat him over and over again was less then pleasurable though. "How would I know you were in this state?" Ken simply asked. "It's simply bad luck for you that we came at this time."

Gai opened his mouth to say something but Ken raised his hand. "Silence!" he spoke loudly. Gai didn't know why but he obliged as he watched Ken turn to Kakashi. "Now tell me, why did you expect me?" Kakashi smirked. "Itachi simply announced it." He answered, bowing mockingly to Itachi as if thanking him for his help.

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Sakura still didn't understand what could be going on. The group had been talking for a fairly long time now and her female curiosity got the better of her. She kept on sneaking closer and closer, when she finally saw a familiar face that scared her to no end. It was Itachi's. But why would he be looking so…scared all of a sudden? The man normally showed no emotion. Sakura was barely able to keep herself from screeching as a very fat and cold raindrop hit her in her neck.

She looked up to find it had slid off of a leaf. She shook her head and looked back at the scene. Kakashi and Gai were really outnumbered by far, especially since Gai was wounded so badly. Sakura couldn't help but think she had to help, and she would. So, she finally came out of the shadows, ignoring how some of the heads turned to her. She saw some creepy guys between them. One's face was covered by a mask, only his right eye visible. Truly horrifying. But she was now focusing on Kakashi's face, staring at her in a way to send her back.

Sakura didn't listen to the cold stare though and kept on walking. She placed herself on the other side of Gai, who looked at her quite surprised. "Sakura, what would you be doing here?" Sakura slightly shivered. She was completely drenched, and the sky didn't look like it would seize this downpour soon. She smiled sweetly at Gai though. "I'm being useful." She said. "I will help protecting you, sir." She didn't dare to look back at Kakashi though. "But you can't." Gai said. "Lee would never forgive me if something happened to you, Sakura." He said sternly. Sakura grinned. "I was just about to tell you the same."

"You jest." Ken suddenly interrupted. He had just promised Itachi that he would have to endure some massive pain, seeing how he had done something, whatever it was he did, going against the Akatsuki. He continued mouthing his surprise to his brother though. "You wish to be protected by this girl?" Gai's head snapped back at Ken. "I don't." he replied. "And she is leaving right now." He sounded stern all of a sudden. "I agree." Kakashi said. Sakura couldn't help but wonder why they were lecturing her, right in front of the Akatsuki.

"Don't be stupid." She glared. "Lecture me later if you will, but right now, I doubt I would be able to get away anymore." She looked at Itachi, now staring at his feet. "Thank you for the information, Itachi-kun!" she said playfully. "It was really helpful to us." She even waved to draw his attention. "Don't provoke him." Kakashi hissed. But Itachi's head had already shot up, his feet pushing him a bit forward, but the firm hand of Ken blocking his path. "This girl knows our secrets?"

Itachi shook his head. "Most of it, she doesn't. But she knows some." He couldn't help but think that she mostly knew stuff about him personally, and this burned him. Ken turned towards Kakashi and Gai, smiling. "I will let you of the hook now Gai." He said. "But this girl needs to be killed, the information she carries far too valuable to be spilled." He didn't know what it was she knew but he couldn't take any chances. All Sakura could think of was to drop herself into an attack stance and wait for any attacks. She would not be carried away, not again!

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She wasn't home! Lee was running around Konoha, finding most streets to be completely deserted. He was completely soaked to the bone but failed to even notice this right now. Sakura was no longer home, but why? Did she have to ignore his pleas once more and run off? Did she want to get herself in some more trouble? He sighed. He cared about her so very much, nothing could happen to her.

He found he was in a couple of streets he had inspected already and took a different turn. His breath was forming clouds as he ran. It really was cold. Once again, he couldn't help but wonder what had urged Sakura to get out. What scared him most was that she was where he wasn't, while he had no idea of what was going on. On another day, this wouldn't be a problem, but seeing what he had just found, and knowing how the situation was right now, this could be a big problem.

He ran into a puddle, mud and water splashing all over his jumpsuit and even his face. He wiped it off in a quick manner. Why was it even raining this hard? He could barely see a thing. Every time he opened his eyes far enough o be able to see something, the rain simply formed a wall, making him either wipe or close his eyes. He kept on running until he was stopped by a very fat and cold raindrop. He looked up to see the start of a cherry tree. Spring was coming soon now. The raindrop he had felt so heavily was from one of the leafs.

He shrugged this off though and continued on his way. And finally, he found some figures standing there. Most were difficult to make out but what he did see was some wonderful exotic pink hair, darkened slightly by the wetness of the rain. Lee ran closer to see his blossom was bravely standing in an attack pose, as if ready to slice someone's throat when needed. He frowned and stopped his running, now stepping to get slightly closer.

Gai and Kakashi were there too. But what were they doing outside? Kakashi seemed relaxed enough but he was staring intently at the group that was staring back as it would seem, expecting them to do something. And Gai seemed kind of out of it. As if he had just now gotten very harsh news, whatever that would be. Lee looked back at her blossom to find her lips moving. She was saying something. But whatever that could be, she was ready to attack, what meant she could be hurt, and that in turn meant that Lee was needed. So he dashed forward.

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"I won't let you take me without a fight." Sakura said slyly. "I am sick of never being able to defend myself, so now I'll show what I can prove to be. She raised a fist and filled it up with chakra, then smashing it down on the ground. As if she had caused a rockslide, the ground split in half, debris flying everywhere. All of the Akatsuki members jumped away save for one. Itachi simply slashed away the rocks with his sword, swiftly flinging himself forward to hurt the girl while she was still drawing her fist back. It all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Itachi didn't know what happened when suddenly, a thrust to his stomach sent him flying. He pulled himself up, wiping the blood dripping from his mouth. "You!" he uttered. Sakura gasped as she found Lee standing in front of her, once again having protected her. She didn't know if she should be happy or angry. She really wanted to take care of herself this time, so why did Lee have to jump in again?

"It seems you didn't learn your lesson last time." Lee said, not at all amused, simply angry.

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And stop. "sigh". Wow, I didn't expect I'd make it this long anymore, but I did. I guess I had a lot of inspiration today. No bother though. All I can say is, please review! And remember. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please do tell me! Sayonara!!


	44. Clash between lovers

Yayness, to start off with a new story today, I'm so happy! I'm really into writing today, don't ask me why. Let's start off with my reviewers, shall we?

RaeVenn: For Itachi indeed. Lee angry is cool!

StrawberrySakuraChan: Will he beat him? You sure? He might just die… Anyways, you must, absolutely must update your story! "grin" I'm getting mighty impatient.

Animelover5.6: He's indeed very cute, cutie Lee To the rescue!

Bobalu: Hahaha, I'm not sure about that but I'll try my best, that's for sure. In slow motion? Cool! That's how I saw it too! Well, Lee couldn't let her get hurt, could he?

The Rogue Stallion: Alright, if you want it so bad, I'll let him use it, but it's not likely that it will happen in this fight. It's far too serious for that.

The16thday: Everyone expects Lee to win oO oh well… Thanks

Panther eyes: You're right! Don't worry, she will fight! Yeah, Gai has problems, why else would he be so weird? "grin"

Gothic Saku-chan: I know! Thank you!!!

The Ruby Wolf: Don't worry about it. I understand. Thank you, I love my twists. Well, I'll keep that in mind, thank you for telling me.

Troublesome writer: Of course I'm going to have them work together. As you put it so well, Sakura would never simply sit back and enjoy the show. The babysitting went very well. Well, here's the next chapter. You smell a twist, you say? "nervous" uh-oh…

That was all of them. Oh, I just watched episode 218 and I can't wait for 219 because Lee is hurt and Sakura is on her way to heal him! Yayness to it all! I know, I know…

On with it!!!

_**Clash between lovers**_

"Sakura, are you alright?" Even the sweetness in Lee's voice couldn't bring Sakura out of her rising rage. "Yes, and I would've been even without you jumping in." she snapped. She saw Lee's head twitch as if wanting to turn to her but not doing so in fear of being attacked. "What is wrong, Sakura?" he asked, still standing there so protectively. This only infuriated Sakura further so she simply walked away from the protective barrier, positioning herself next to the green beast. "Nothing's wrong, Lee." She responded, her voice low. "Sakura, please do not put too much pressure on yourself." Lee said in a state of semi-fear as he saw the girl take place next to him, her eyes glaring at Itachi.

She ignored him and dashed forward, her fist barely missing Itachi's face, but her knee colliding harshly with his chin. She ducked and swiftly turned 360 degrees, her leg stretched, to make Itachi trip. The man jumped up though and Sakura thrusted herself upwards with her arms, the bottom of her foot landing harshly on Itachi's nose. She was going to continue her assault when suddenly, someone pulled her arm and made her crash harshly onto the muddy stones of the road. She looked up just in time to find Lee punching a certain blond member of the group away.

Lee swiftly turned towards Sakura who was already lifting herself from the ground. "Are you hurt, Sakura?" Lee asked, scanning her body quickly as he elbowed a still hooded Akatsuki in the neck, the man choking. Sakura swiftly pushed him aside to catch a sword being slashed at Lee with her kunai. She kicked the attacker, who happened to be Itachi again, harshly against his kneecap, causing him to fall forward harshly. He released his sword and Sakura picked it up, wielding it as her own now. "Lee, I don't need you to protect me so badly." She said, her face slightly turned, her right eye looking at an astonished Lee.

Had she just now, saved his life? Lee shook it off as he ducked swiftly and elegantly to avoid what seemed to be a scythe. He looked up to find a white haired man drawing back the scythe to make another attempt at slicing him. Lee jumped backwards, flipping in the air to land on his hands, pushing himself away from the ground again to kick the blond in the face who was right now sneaking up to Sakura. "Lee, stop it!" Sakura practically screamed. Lee just couldn't understand what he was doing wrong. But he knew that he would protect his loved one, with or without her permission.

He glanced at Gai quickly to see him being dropped off at a rooftop by Kakashi, after which the silver haired jounin quickly returned to the battle scene. They were outnumbered by far. He looked back to find a little bird flapping its wings ferociously in front of his face. He saw that it was made of clay. Awkward. He widened his eyes in surprise as the bird exploded though. He drew up his arms quickly, protecting himself from the blast. A voice crying out his name was what kept him conscious. He looked over at Sakura and found that she was looking up at him with worry, not quite noticing the sword being lifted behind her.

Lee jumped up, wanting to warn her but came too late. His world seemed to stop for a moment as he saw Sakura being hit in her backside, the girl crashing down onto the ground, screaming in pain. To his surprise, she was able to roll away when a fist was about to land on her face. It seemed the sword had shaved her rather then cut her. His eyes searched those of Sakura's attacker and found they were small and white. His face was blue and had gill-like features on his face. He almost seemed like a shark. But why was Sakura gasping like that? He didn't think she would get tired that quickly. What had happened?

Kakashi revealed his left eye to Ken, who wasn't even surprised at the revelation. "Hatake Kakashi." He snorted. "The famous copy ninja." He glanced at Itachi who was trying to get up, but was failing miserable as his kneecap seemed to be scattered. "How fun is it to rip off techniques, using a stolen eye?" Kakashi dashed forward, a kunai clasped firmly in his hand, slashing at the leader of the Akatsuki. He swiftly backed away though, never even impressed. "It's not stolen." Kakashi growled. "Of course not." Ken said smiling. "So it has always been yours?" Kakashi avoided a poorly thrown kunai and landed a bit farther away from Ken. "It was given to me."

Ken started laughing. "By a friend you had abandoned, and doomed, isn't that right?" Kakashi grit his teeth, as if in pain. What did this man know about him? He glanced at Sakura who skid across the ground, her eyes clenched shut in pain. The kunoichi quickly got up again though, panting hard. She seemed to be wielding a sword all of a sudden. He looked up at Ken, smiling. "Say what you want, I don't care." He held his right hand with his left a little behind his waist. The chirping of a thousand birds filled the air. "This technique is all mine by the way." He said, grinning behind his mask. "Chidori!"

All fighting seized for a few seconds as a loud explosion came from where Kakashi and Ken had been fighting, all heads turned towards the two. When the smoke cleared, it was revealed to everyone that Kakashi's hand had dug itself trough Ken's left arm, which he had held up. Lee and Sakura instantly knew it had been the chidori. Ken's blood was streaming onto the ground but it seemed he could still fight nonetheless, seeing how he kicked Kakashi harshly in his side, the jounin flying a few feet away from the Akatsuki.

This was signal for the rest to continue the fighting. Sakura slashed the sword at the shark-like Akatsuki member, cutting away into his shoulder. Not deep enough. A fist connected with her fist and sent her flying right into Lee. Lee caught her in his arms and quickly ducked, avoiding the scythe once more. He turned and kicked his enemy backwards, missing, but causing him to jump away a few feet. He dashed towards the shark now and punched him harshly in the face, positive he had broken his jaw, avoiding the shaving sword, swung at him at the moment, just barely.

Then all of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain come from his back, and he flinched harshly. It had been another explosion as he had heard the bang. The blond was laughing loudly. He was just about to charge at him, when he saw Sakura punch him in the stomach, the man spitting out a fair amount of blood, spraying it all over Sakura, as he flew backwards and collided with a wall, flying straight trough it. She then turned around to avoid the large shaving sword by mere inches, feeling how her chakra seemed to be drawn right out of her.

She let herself fall backwards slightly, sending her leg upwards with great speed and strength kicking the owner of the cursed sword flying into the air. She swung her leg down, pushed herself from the ground and punched him straight into his back as he came down, hearing a satisfying crack. "Enough!" bellowed a sudden voice. Everyone seized fighting, not quite knowing who had yelled. They soon realized it had been Ken though. "We come back later." He said. And that was all he said before all members disappeared in a quick blur, even those wounded, probably being carried off.

But Sakura felt a hot breath in her neck for a few seconds longer. "Next time, it won't be as easy." It whispered. Sakura turned around to identify the owner of the voice but found it too was already a blur. And that's how they found themselves standing there, covered in mud, blood, and completely drained of their chakra. Lee was hurt worst of all it seemed, as the explosions had teared away his flesh. His arms were one bloody massacre and his shoulder too was burning from the explosion. Without saying a word, Sakura put her hands above his arms and started healing.

"Sakura, please, heal yourself first." Sakura's eyes narrowed but she didn't say a word. She tried to keep her breath as steady as she could while healing Lee, failing miserably when suddenly two hands clasped hers firmly. Lee's arms were still bleeding terribly but the pain that would obviously come from those wounds didn't show on his face a single time. His eyes were staring at her intently, serious and angrily. "I will not allow it, Sakura." He said. "I do not know why you are angry with me right now, but I will not let you harm yourself like this any more, no matter how much more angry you will be with me."

Sakura felt the urge to kick him, and to kick him hard, right where it would hurt. And so she did. Or at least she tried to. She kicked as hard as she could but Lee's leg was lifted up, stopping her blow, his eyes widening considerably. "Sakura, please." He said, not quite sure what he was pleading for. "Let go of me." Sakura said. Lee didn't listen, which resulted him in blocking another kick. "I suggest you let her go, Lee." Kakashi butted in. "I will not." Lee growled. "I will not run away from this, even though I do not understand, I will find out." He carefully started dragging Sakura away, avoiding the stares from the people who had just now woken up, coming to see what had happened, not understanding one bit what was going on. Kakashi had jumped back to Gai, to fetch the still astounded jounin.

"I will get you to a hospital first though." He said. Sakura kept screaming at him to let him go, eventually even starting to cry in fury and rage. Lee didn't understand what was happening, and this tore his heart, but the safety of his love was what came first right now. He stopped in front of the hospital, sighing. If Tsunade found them here, she would surely kill both of them. Sakura had silenced by now. She was staring at the ground, her hands clenched into fists in Lee's firm grasp. He looked at her with pleading eyes, which softened Sakura just a bit, even if it was not much. "Sakura, I truly must admit I do not understand what is going on, and I am very sorry that I don't." he drew a deep breath. "After you are fully healed, I will wish for you to please tell me why you are angry, and I will do anything to stop doing what it is I'm doing wrong." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Alright?"

Great, now Sakura was feeling guilty. Had she overreacted? "Lee, it's just that I…" she started in an apologetic tone but Lee stopped her. "No, we have to heal you up first." He said. "Well…you too." Sakura mumbled. Lee didn't hear her and therefore didn't comment. They walked into the hospital and indeed found Tsunade there. She looked extremely pissed off as they walked din and Lee decided to bluff his way out. He let go of Sakura, sure that she wouldn't run anymore and saluted. "Tsunade-sama, Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura on report.

"Report then." Tsunade answered, turning herself fully towards the two chuunin, awaiting what excuse they would use, glancing at them to expect their injuries. Sakura seemed to be pretty exhausted too. "The Akatsuki have tried to invade Konoha this morning." Lee said. "But myself, Sakura, and Kakashi have been able to hold them off. They have run away for now but I am sure they will be back sooner or later. Tsunade simply crossed her arms.

"And that is why you are hurt?" She asked, glaring down at them. "Er…yes, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade sighed. "Truly, can't you guys stay out of trouble for a day? Maybe two?" Lee sighed as well. "It is not our fault that we seem to be attacked constantly." Tsunade smirked. "Standing up to me now, Lee?" she asked playfully. "Please leave him alone Tsunade-sensei." Sakura said wearily. "And how did you get so tired?" Tsunade asked. "Did you attempt to run laps around Konoha with Lee?" Sakura shook her head at Tsunade's stupidity. "It was a chakra-depleting weapon, Tsunade-sama." She said. "Now, could we please be granted some medical attention?" Tsunade nodded. "Finally, you ask." She said, and pointed them to a room.

The treatments didn't take too long, but Tsunade telling them that she would ban them from the hospital forever and simply refuse to help them forever if they dared to show up in the first couple of months, was. But finally, they got to go home, right at the point where the sun was completely up, announcing the midday. "Would you care to go eat somewhere?" Lee asked Sakura who was walking rather slowly, her face still a little bit pale. "Sure" she answered. She felt guilty. Why was she overreacting so much? She sighed. Damn hormones.

"Is ramen okay?" Lee asked. Sakura looked up at him in surprise to find that goofy grin plastered on his face. She managed a weak smile. "That's perfect, Lee." She answered. Lee grasped her hand and pulled her with him, fastening her pace a little. When they got there, they ordered their ramen, both quickly receiving their order, awaiting it to cool down a little, as they started talking. "Would you care to tell me what is wrong now, Sakura?" Lee asked sweetly. His arms were resting on the counter and his head was cocked to the side a little. He was so cute.

Sakura rested her chin on her hand wearily, her elbow on the counter as well. "It's just that… I'm sick of being protected all the time, Lee." She said. "I want so badly to prove that I can take care of myself! But every time I get the chance, you simply jump in front of any attack heading my way, as if thinking I wouldn't be able to avoid it, protecting me again. And I… I simply start feeling worthless because of it, that's why I get so angry about it." Lee blinked. "You find it troubling that I wish to protect you from harm?" he asked.

Sakura nodded. Lee smiled, his eyes closed a little and opened them slightly again, staring at nothing in particular. "You should not find yourself worthless, Sakura, should I find myself worthless because you stopped that sword for me?" Sakura blinked as she remembered the tiny event that had occurred earlier on. "Of course not!" she responded. "You can't stop every attack!" Lee nodded. "That is correct, and that is also why I protect you, even though I know that you can take care of yourself perfectly fine." Sakura frowned. "But you protect me every single time!"

Lee took her hand in his. "Only because I am afraid, every strike again, that it would be the one you are not able to stop." Sakura stared at him. She was right, she had overreacted. "Thank you for saving me, by the way." Lee suddenly said, kissing her lightly. Sakura blushed, feeling like this was the start of a crush all over again. "Y-You're welcome." She stuttered. Lee chuckled. "You are so cute." He said, starting to eat his ramen. Sakura followed suit.

"Thank you too, Lee." She said. "For everything." Lee draped his arm around Sakura, pulling her closer. "No need to thank you, I am just doing what I want to do." He grinned. "Selfish, huh?" Sakura sighed, and allowed Lee's warmth to engulf her. "Yeah." She whispered quietly. "Selfish." Oh, how weary she felt. "A big, plate of ramen, please!" a cheerful voice suddenly yelled.

Lee and Sakura looked up to find someone they hadn't expected. Long, blond hair, green eyes, a long black coat, with red clouds. The carefree, artistic member of the Akatsuki. Deidara!

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No, this is not supposed to be funny. I can't believe how long this chapter has gotten, I simply could not find a good point to stop, but I finally did. Yay! So, enjoy, you guys. I'm very happy with this chapter, since it's something different, eh? Please review!


	45. Enlighten me

"sigh" I just woke up. "yawn" But I want to write the next chapter already. I'm not going to upload it yet until tonight though, otherwise there'd be too much of difference. I'm waiting for reviews as well…so yeah. Now, to answer my reviewers…

The16thday: Yeah, he's probably there to eat, you know? Heheh.

RaeVenn: Yup, that's the fact! I'm glad you like it

Bobalu: Heh…satisfied? Why does that sound so negative? Hahaha! Yeah, I'm glad you had that reaction! It's just that what's-his-name wields a shaving sword. Yay!

Gothic Saku-chan: Yeah well, it's a drama-fic, I didn't want to make it funny, so Lee simply blocked it. I simply wanted to break the cliché of: 'she held back'. Enjoy!

The ruby wolf: Yes, simply because I like twists. Alright, I'll cut it out for a while, otherwise this fic'll still take months! Yup, Deidara

Panther eyes: Yup! That's Deidara! Well… no, simply impulsive. Also, he said he was going to go get some food after the battle a few chapters earlier, remember? Enjoy!

And that's all of them! Oh, and for all of you who think otherwise…Lee was created to be a symbol for the hard work some people lack these days and not to make fun of. The author simply wanted to point out that hard work pays off! He likes Lee!!! So there!

On with it!!!

_**Enlighten me**_

Lee quickly jerked up and went to stand in front of Sakura. "Lee." Sakura whispered somewhat urgent. Lee looked at Sakura pleadingly. "Please, let me always protect you, Sakura." He almost cried. Sakura simply sighed. "Well, isn't that sweet?" Deidara stated, his chopsticks in his right hand. Lee's head shot back to Deidara and so did Sakura's. "What do you want here?" Lee asked, his eyes narrowing. Deidara blinked. "What does it look like? I'm eating." He smiled and gratefully accepted his bowl of ramen.

"I find it hard to believe that you came here to simply eat some ramen." Lee growled. He felt like he was being insulted for stupid. "And why is that?" Deidara asked, lifting up an egg with his chopsticks. "Because you would not be so careless as to show your face around here, would you now?" Lee answered. Deidara chuckled slightly. "You guys are the only ones who have seen my face in this village." He said. "No one else recognises me, and truth be told, I never expected to find you guys here, so yeah." Sakura shook her head slightly in disbelief.

"What?" Deidara asked. "I need to eat too, you know?" Sakura growled. Was he simply playing with them? "How dare you?" she asked, pointing a finger at the blond. "After everything you've done to us, how dare you show up here?" Deidara sighed. "It's not like you have been so kind to us." He responded slyly. "Perhaps, but you act on evil causes!" Sakura yelled. "And we don't!" Lee took her hand in his. "Sakura, calm down." He whispered, not sure how the blond would respond.

"Good and evil…" Deidara said, glancing at the two scared teenagers. "Is not real." He turned to face the boy being oh so protective of his girl. "Because there is no good and evil…" Deidara continued. "…Only different opinions. "You see, to me… you are the evil ones, and I am doing good." Lee's eyes widened. "How is killing people for a good cause?" he yelled furiously. "You kill just the same!" Deidara responded harshly. Lee found himself to be without words. "See?" Deidara said, smiling. "I am right, now let me eat."

"When are you going to attack again, and why?" Sakura asked. Deidara sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you. We won't attack for a while." He gazed into Sakura's eyes. "You see, pretty girl, leader wants to wait until that Maito Gai is healed." Sakura slightly blushed and averted her eyes, while Lee growled. "Why do you want to attack him anyways?" Lee asked, choosing to ignore the moves he had made on Sakura a few seconds earlier. "Oh right, you weren't there from the start!" Deidara said. "Well, I'm not in the mood for explaining, ask Gai himself, yeah?"

He took his bowl of ramen and put it against his lips. Sakura sighed. "It doesn't look like he's going to do anything drastic, Lee." Sakura said. "What should we do?" Lee glared at Deidara a little longer. "We will not attack him." Lee said. "Because compared to him, we do not attack without a reason." He sighed and started eating his ramen again, Sakura still standing there, looking at Deidara. "My boy, there is always a reason." Deidara said, wiping his mouth. "Always." He fully turned to Sakura who backed away a little, startling Lee slightly when she hit him with her back.

"So, you're the one who got kidnapped by Itachi huh beautiful?" He asked. Sakura lifted her right arm in a way that would be more associated with Hinata. "Yeah, we got it out of him." Deidara continued. "He's not the only one who knows how to torture." He winked at Sakura. "Don't you worry about what he said though. You're a very pretty lady." "That is enough!" Lee suddenly yelled. Sakura could've sworn steam would come out of his ears. It didn't happen though. His face was slightly red, but that was everything. Sakura was sure the blush on her face was far worse.

"What's the matter, boy?" Deidara asked, smiling. "I will not simply sit here and allow you to try and seduce my one and only true love, and my betrothed to add!" Deidara blinked. "Oh really? Is that how it is?" he asked, slightly amused, his right hand rubbing his chin. "Keep her close boy." He said. "She is a true work of art, but keep in mind, that art is fleeting." Lee glared. What did he mean by that? "Ah, don't mind my rambling, your ramen will get cold." Deidara pointed out. He threw some money on the counter, smiling a bit too innocently and got up from his seat.

"It was a pleasure talking to you." Deidara said politely. He bowed gallantly to Sakura. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, mademoiselle." He said. Lee growled and Sakura simply sighed, putting a hand on Lee's shoulder to keep him from attacking the blond. Deidara swung his right arm elegantly and disappeared in a cloud of Raven's, leaving the two stunned Konoha ninja at the Ichiraku ramen shop. It remained silent for a few seconds, until Sakura turned to Lee, smiling. "Well, that was interesting." She commented. Lee growled. "Why would you say that?" He asked.

Sakura blinked as she felt how Lee was getting slightly jealous. "I meant that it shows the Akatsuki are merely human, you know?" she corrected herself. Lee sighed. "Well, I understand that humans have their needs, but I will not let him have you." Sakura burst out laughing, ruffling Lee's hair. "Oh, Lee, you are so cute!" she commented. Lee blushed slightly. "Come on silly, finish your ramen, you're the only one who hasn't finished yet." Lee sighed. "Alright Sakura, I will." He agreed, silently finishing his ramen, Sakura simply embracing him by putting her hands around his neck from behind.

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Finally, they decided to go and visit Gai and Kakashi. Perhaps it wasn't any of their business, but they really wanted to know why it was that Gai was being hunted down by the Akatsuki! It wasn't a simple trivial matter, now was it? Lucky for them, Lee knew exactly where Gai lived, which could only be expected. They rang the doorbell, which Kakashi quickly answered by opening the upstairs window. "What is it?" he yelled. Sakura blinked as she saw that Kakashi was wearing some bandages here and there.

"We wanted to ask you guys some questions!" Sakura simply yelled back. "What kind of questions?" Kakashi responded. Sakura sighed. "Just open the door, will you?!" the screamed. It was then that Gai appeared next to Kakashi, his head out of the window. "Ah, there is my prized student!" he yelled, Kakashi covering his left ear. "Gai-sensei! How are you faring?!" Lee yelled in delight. "Simply fine!, Thanks to Kakashi!" Gai screamed in equal delight. Lee wanted to yell another statement but Sakura covered his mouth with her right hand.

She glared at Kakashi and pointed at the door. They had drawn enough attention as it was. It seemed that ever since she had gotten together with Lee, they were always in the spotlights, and that unnerved her sometimes. Hell, it always unnerved her. Kakashi got her point and disappeared only to answer the door mere seconds later. "Thank you." Sakura sighed. She pulled Lee – who was communicating to Gai with hand-signs now – with her, inside the house, closing the door to shut out the curious stares of the others.

When they were finally all seated in the living room, Sakura decided to get to the point. "We would like to know why Gai-sensei is being targeted by Akatsuki." She said. Kakashi sighed and leaned into the couch, his arms crossed, and Gai's smile simply disappeared from his youthful face. "If you do not wish to tell us, there is no need Gai-sensei." Lee quickly said, not happy with the change in Gai's behaviour. "No, I'll tell you." Gai said.

"You see…" he started. "The leader of the Akatsuki is my half-brother." He stopped for a second to draw in a deep breath, and continued his story. "When I was 2 years old, my mother decided to… turn into a different path of life. She thought my father had been the wrong choice and thus, she left. My father got remarried rather quickly, to another woman who seemed nice. And then, they had my brother, Ken. But this woman left about 1 year later, and my father couldn't handle it anymore. He decided to never get married again. He thought it was best to focus all of his attention in us, his two children. And he did this by teaching us Taijutsu to the best of his abilities. He was a master of the art."

Gai seemed to have a dreamy smile on his face, as if thinking about a happy past. He continued. "I trained hard, very hard, because I didn't want to let him down. I trained every day and every night, until I dropped down out of exhaustion. My brother though, wasn't so dedicated. He focused more on futile things like dreaming. And still he didn't understand why he was never able to beat me. He started feeling a grudge towards me and eventually, he simply drew the conclusion that our father preferred me over him and taught me things he wasn't taught, which of course was ridiculous. My father never saw it coming and Ken simply killed him, and ran away after. That's when I was 8." Gai sighed. "I've been forced to live and train alone ever since."

Gai smiled sadly. "I think Ken wants to have another go at defeating me." He finished and leaned back in the couch just like Kakashi had done. Sakura was simply staring at Gai in horror. She saw that Lee's eyes were teary. Not in the comical way, but in true sadness. "Gai-sensei, I never knew this." He said. Gai smiled at him. "Of course you didn't. But don't worry, I'm perfectly fine now." Gai grinned. "You don't think this smile has been fake all these years, do you?" Lee smiled. "No, I do not." He answered.

"Time to get out." Kakashi said. "You have your information right? Now, please leave." Sakura blinked. "You want to get rid of us this badly?" Sakura asked. Kakashi smiled. "Yes, I do." Sakura pouted, which made Lee smile. It reminded him of when she was younger. She was still so cute. "No Sakura, I simply have some things I need to talk about with Gai." Kakashi explained, swallowing his previous words. Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Lee took her hand and pulled her with him. "Let's go Sakura." He said, smiling. Sakura sighed and smiled, closing the door behind them, as they walked out onto the street.

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I'm gonna stop it here. No cliffie, and no twist. Everybody happy? This is original for me, haha. Alright, now, if you would be so kind as to review…you see, I've gotten very few reviews last chapter, so please help me catch up, okay?

Oh, and for those who like my writing, please do check out my other stories about Naruto and could you – if they interest you of course – review them too? Thank you! (All LeexSaku BTW)


	46. Glitter and glamour

Hello everyone! I'm going to start next chapter. To tell you the truth, I'm not really into it today though. I don't know why. Perhaps simply tired. The good thing is though, that with this chapter, I will finally reach 90 000 words! Now, my reviewers…

The Rogue Stallion: Heh, I did, did I? I'm sorry, I guess I was mistaken there. I think you're simply being paranoid, I'm afraid. You see, I don't like writing yaoi. Sorry

The16thday: You do? I'm glad. I hope you like this chapter too.

Panther eyes: Nah, Deidara was really there to eat. I don't think many Akatsuki members would flirt with their enemy, do you? Hahaha, funny sight though.

Animelover5.6: Ah, no problem! I totally understand. I'm glad you liked it!

Bobalu: Heh… you'd think…you're right! Sorry for my stupidity! Hahaha " I know his name, it's just that since the rest doesn't know, I'd refer to him differently. Thank you though.

Van the Key of Lain: You do? I'm glad! Yeah, I simply love that theory of good and evil. Really? If you have an idea of what it means, please tell me (you might give me an idea even) Er… no, there's no GaixKaka, I don't write yaoi " Thanks for your review!

**And that's all of them. Not much is it? Thanks to all who did review though! May I ask for more reviews this chapter? Please? It'll only take a few minutes of your time…**

**On with it!!!**

_**Glitter and glamour**_

Not much happened since the day Akatsuki invaded the village, sending Lee and Sakura to the hospital once more. The last they had seen of the black clothed villains was the blond artist Deidara. Gai was healing up rather slowly, and for once, people didn't mind that. Only Gai – who desperately wanted to start training – hated the fact that he was immobilized. He was already able to walk without crutches, though it tired him dramatically. Kakashi was not obliged to watch him every time of every day anymore, seeing how the Akatsuki wouldn't attack until he was healed. This presented the older green beast some rest and peace and quiet.

People had been preparing for two occasions now. The first one was obviously getting ready for the Akatsuki. They needed to be sure that the village would be alright, and that next time they would attack, there wouldn't only be a jounin and two chuunin to fight them. It was too dangerous to take that risk again. Medic nin were trained the best they could by Tsunade seeing how she didn't have her hands full with Sakura anymore, the girl being with child, and not able to safely use her chakra to the full extent, in fear of drawing her own babies' chakra. Which brings us to occasion number two.

As much as everyone was dreading the Akatsuki, they also had a happy occasion to prepare for. A day that would come almost as fast as spring now. The marriage of Lee and Sakura. Sakura had been smart to wait with buying her dress, seeing how her belly had grown quite a bit by now. She also tortured Lee endlessly by asking the weirdest items of food, turning them down when Lee had finally been able to find them. The boy never gave up though, his smile dragging him trough Sakura's strange mood, and appetite swings. She still loved teasing Lee about the fact that she knew the babies' sex, while he didn't.

Back to the dress. She went to buy it with Tenten, and no one else. She wanted it to be a surprise for everyone! Tenten, she trusted to keep a secret though. Everything was arranged. Everything was perfect! And that's why we find Sakura and Lee awake bright and early, busy with all sorts of things, getting excited about the smallest of things. They both had a smile on their face that couldn't be taken off by anyone anymore. To put it simply, they were happy.

"Lee, come on, breath!" Sakura chirped. Lee grinned. "I am breathing Sakura!" his voice sounded stressed out yet happy at the same time. Sakura waved her hand in front of Lee's face, feeling no exhaled wind. "Breath Lee, come on!" she said. She was still smiling though. Lee drew a breath, surprised he indeed had not been breathing. "I am sorry Sakura, it is just that I am so excited!" he said. His voice was trembling with nervousness. Sakura kissed him, her hand running trough his hair. He poked her in the side slightly, causing her to giggle in his mouth.

"Finally, the day has come Lee." She said a whole lot calmer. Lee nodded, his arms wrapping tightly around Sakura's waist. "And… I have to go change now." Sakura said. "There's still a lot of things I have to get done." She poked his chest lovingly. "And so do you." Lee grinned, not letting her go just yet. "But then, I will not see you for the rest of the day." Sakura sighed dramatically. "But when you see me again, Lee." She said playfully. "It will be while waiting for me, as I walk down the isle." She giggled, thinking about it. This would be the best day of her life.

The day simply was perfect. The sky was clear, and void of any clouds. A light breeze soothed all those who found the weather to be too warm. Truth be told though, the temperature was simply perfect. They had decided to have the wedding outside, and so everything was placed onto the gently waving grass, underneath a few cherry trees, cherry blossoms blooming happily on the many branches. "So, could you let me go, Lee? Tenten is waiting for me." Lee closed his eyes in silent bliss, running his hand up to Sakura's neck, gently pulling her into an embrace. "This is the happiest day of my life." He whispered. He pulled back out of the embrace and let go of Sakura.

"Well, hurry up then, quit stalling." He joked. Sakura playfully hit him on the arm. "Yeah, yeah, it's my fault again, huh?" she mocked. "Just go to Neji will you?" She looked at him one more time, glancing one last time into his dark yet warm eyes, and turned around, trough the door that would guide her to a new life. Lee watched her leave and then turned around himself as well. Right, Neji was waiting for him. He walked the other way, towards the Hyuuga mansion. When he finally got there, Neji was already busy yelling at people. "Why did you order an ice-sculpture?!" he yelled. "Don't you know things always go wrong with ice-sculptures?"

Lee chuckled. "I'm sorry sir." A voice replied, carrying off what seemed to be a frozen, little clump of ice, dripping because of the suns gentle rays. "Don't get so angry, Neji-kun." Lee laughed. Neji turned around, his expression clearing a bit when he saw Lee. "Finally!" he yelled in relief. "You're here!" Lee laughed. He had never seen Neji in a state like this before. Why was he nervous? Lee was supposed to be the nervous one. "Oh come on Neji-kun, do not be so nervous." Lee said, smiling. "How nervous will you be when you finally wed Tenten?"

Neji's face reddened considerably. "Shut up, Lee!" he said, glaring somewhat. "You're up today, don't event think about dragging me down with you." Lee raised his hands in defence and surrender. "Alright Neji-kun, do not get so angry." Lee soothed. "No shrimp!" Neji screeched. "I said, no shrimp!" He growled and slapped a plat of shrimp out of someone's hands. "I want salmon, I want eggs, and hell, I can even live pancakes, but don't dare to show me those shrimp again!" He grabbed Lee's arm and was about to pull him with him when he turned around again. "And clean up this mess." He said, glaring.

"Don't worry." Neji growled. "The real buffet will be better organized, these are simply the snacks." Lee simply chuckled again. "What's wrong with shrimp?" he asked bravely, which resulted in Neji glaring at him menacingly. If looks could kill, Lee would've been cut into pieces and died a slow and painful death. Makes you wonder who was getting married here. Neji pushed Lee inside a room and locked the door after he had stepped inside himself. "Now…" he sighed. "…the hardest thing of all." He looked at Lee who was staring at a black suit. "You."

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"Oh, Sakura, you must be so excited!" Tenten screeched. "I'm so jealous of you!" Sakura giggled. "Yes, I can't wait." The girl said. "I've been looking forward to this for so long." She sighed. "Oh Tenten, just wait until Neji asks you, you'll understand just how I feel right now." Tenten blushed. "Yeah, I'm sure I will…" she sighed. "Don't you want to marry him, Tenten?" Sakura asked curiously. Tenten started blushing even harder. "I do, I really do, but Neji hasn't… oh, you know what, this is your day, Sakura, don't worry about me."

Sakura wasn't able to get anything else out of the weapon ninja. And finally, she gave in, enjoying the way she was starting to look. She had just gotten a shower, and now, Tenten – who had blow-dried Sakura's hair – was getting her hair to be a real piece of art. Oh, and her dress, it was so beautiful too. Sakura kept throwing glances at it. She looked in the mirror, smiling at herself. This was going to be so wonderful!

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And then, finally, it was there. The time had come, and the wedding could commence. Neji was double checking everything. He was seating the guests, he was checking if every bets man and bridesmaid was actually there. He panicked a while when he couldn't find Tenten's man, when suddenly realizing that was him. He seated the guests and made sure Gai was in the first row. He checked if the music worked, if everyone's clothing was in order. Man, he even checked if their were no more shrimp on the grass. And when he was finally satisfied, he decided to go and tell Lee that everything was set, and that they could begin anytime.

He raced to the room and opened the door to find… nothing. An empty room. "Lee, where are you?" Neji asked loudly. Yet, no response came.

"Oh My God, he has ran away!" Neji panicked. This time, with very good reason.

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Wow, where did that come from? I didn't plan this, not at all! Not until I was halfway this chapter that is. What do you think? Please, please, please review! It only takes a few moments so please? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.


	47. Finally it arrives

Yay! My usual amount of reviews has been restored! I love it And also, I notice that you're all freaked out about the disappearance, that's wonderful! Well now, my reviewers…

Van the Key of Lain: Nice thinking, but I'll disappoint you. He's not there

PuppetofShadows: I'm glad you think so here you go

Bobalu: Calm down, don't freak out. We'll find out now. "grin" glad you like it.

Animelover5.6: yup. Groom You'll find out now. Enjoy!

xoSweetEscape: Hahaha! Running laps! That's so smart! But no " he's not. You'll find out.

The Rogue Stallion: No, not the Akatsuki, why does everyone think that? Ah, you don't mind? Good. "grin" enjoy!

Gothic Saku-chan: Hahaha, here's next chapter then. Enjoy.

Troublesome writer: Hey, you're back! Yeah, I simply wanted Neji to be a nervous wreck. Glad you liked that. Oh no! You have expectations. That always scares me. I hope I don't disappoint you then. Well…enjoy!

Kagome2004: Oh, right. Was I mistaken that much? Thanks for telling me.

Panther eyes: Yeah, go Neji! "backs off" er…wow. N-No, he's not kidnapped and not on the bathroom as some others have thought as well. Gut them like a fish? "gulps" er… "runs away screaming."

**Well… that's all of them. These have been funny reviews. Alright, stop panicking everyone! Here we go! Read and find out what is going on!!!**

**On with it!!!**

_**Finally it arrives**_

"N-Neji-niisan, please c-calm down." Came Hinata's soothing voice. "w-what's wrong?" Neji turned around and grabbed Hinata by her shoulders, shaking her dramatically. Hinata didn't know if she should be laughing or running away right now. "Lee's gone!" Neji yelled. Hinata clasped her hands in front of Neji's mouth, frantically looking around. "P-Please don't s-say that so l-loud." Hinata begged. "Y-You might c-cause a panic." Neji nodded, signalling he had understood and Hinata drew her hands back.

Neji slumped onto the ground. "What should I do?" he cried. Hinata wasn't sure what she should do either. Normally, Neji was the strong one. Why was he so freaked out about someone else's wedding anyways? "W-We could go s-search for him." Hinata tried. "He could be anywhere by now!" Neji argued. Hinata sighed. Was Neji really that out of it? "W-Well, it's a g-good thing we have our b-byakugan then, right?" she stated firmly. Neji was being stupid. Neji stared at her, surprised at his own stupidity.

"Byakugan!" he yelled nervously, his bloodline limit activating. Hinata decided to search with him, seeing how Neji could easily miss anything in his current state. "Byakugan." Came her voice as she too searched the area. He really couldn't be far. Who knows, perhaps he was somewhere around the house. Neji could be panicking over nothing…again. She quickly withdrew that theory though when she saw a lone figure at the lake. The lake that was quite far away from where they were currently standing.

"N-Neji, he's a-at the lake." Hinata uttered. Neji directed his gaze to the lake as well, indeed finding his team-mate right there, doing who knew what. "Hinata, try to stall the wedding a bit." Neji said, jumping off. Hinata sighed. She hoped Neji was going to be okay.

Neji jumped from tree to tree, keeping his gaze on Lee firmly, just in case the boy might run off again. But he didn't and when Neji finally arrived at the lake, he found Lee to be in the exact same spot as when he had left. "Lee, what are you doing?" Neji scolded. He took big strides towards Konoha's green beast, angry for not getting a reaction. "Lee, get up, we're already late as it is!" This time, Lee did turn around though, looking at Neji with fear filled eyes.

Neji sighed and sat down next to Lee. "Alright, what is it?" he asked. "N-Neji-kun, it is nothing." Lee answered, nervousness leaking from his voice. Neji growled. "We don't have time for your denial, Lee." He said. "Just tell me what's wrong. Don't you love Sakura anymore, or what?" Lee's head snapped back to Neji, his eyes horrified this time. "Of course I love her still, Neji-kun, I love her more then life itself!" he cried out. "Then why don't you go tell her that in your vows?!" Neji argued furiously.

Lee's head dropped again. "Neji-kun…" he sighed. "I am… afraid." Neji blinked. Afraid? Of what? "Why?" came his short question. Lee sighed again. "What if Sakura says no?" he asked. "Or worse, what if she says yes and then it seems I am unable to take care of her. That I am not enough for her!" Neji glared at him. "Right, have you forgotten that you have children on the way already?" he asked. "They would be nonexistent if you two didn't love each other, you know that!" Lee simply seemed to be plunged into even more despair. "I am not fit to be a father, Neji-kun!" he stated. "I have never had one, I do not know what I am supposed to do."

"One problem at the time!" Neji said, getting nervous as well. "Geez, what has Gai-sensei been for you, eh Lee?" Lee looked at Neji with confused eyes. "You know that he's been like a father to you, Lee." Neji answered the question for him. "And to top it all, you are a…." he sighed, almost unable to say it. "A good and kind person. You'll be a very good father." Lee opened his mouth to argue but Neji simply kept going. "As for Sakura, yes, what _if_ she says no? Let me tell you, that chance is very slim." He glared at Lee. "But the chance that she will be hurt extremely by your running away is very large at that. Do you want for her to not be able to walk down the aisle, simply because there is no one there to walk to?" Neji sighed. "Kakashi and Gai will kill you if you don't show up, Lee."

"Neji-kun, I…" "No, shut up, I don't want to hear it!" Neji interrupted. He had already seen how Lee's eyes had changed. Courage and hope now shone in them, and Neji was not about to waste anymore time. This wedding had to go perfect damnit! He grasped Lee's hand tightly and jumped off, back to Hinata, back to the guests, back to Tenten, and… back to Sakura. Lee wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, a grin forming on his face. Man, who was supposed to be the pregnant one here? Lee shouldn't be overreacting like this at all!

Finally, they arrived. Finally, everything could start. And finally, Neji's anxiety would stop. He sighed in relief seeing how he only had one last thing to do. And he went to the back. The minister was already waiting patiently, and Lee went to stand at the right side of the altar. It was white and decorated with all sorts of curls and bows. He turned to look at all the guests that had come, seeing how their eyes were piercing into his back. A lot of people had come. And all of them were seated in comfortable white chairs.

Everyone was very colourful, which added to the scenery of upcoming spring wonderfully. Lee smiled when he saw Gai give him a shaky thumbs up and a wide grin. Lee took a deep breath as a melody started playing and the first couple of people walked down the aisle. Naruto and Hinata were walking arm in arm, Hinata keeping herself from fainting just barely. She couldn't ruin this wedding now, could she? She had to be strong. Naruto kept grinning widely, as if he himself was the one getting married. He liked the feeling of a girl on his arm. He looked down at Hinata. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a light pink, sleeveless dress that complimented her dark hair wonderfully. She wore light pink gloves, clasped tightly around his arm. He grinned. Oh, how she looked brilliant, especially next to him, wearing a black suit with in his pocket, a red rose.

They walked to the end of the aisle, where they parted, but not before Naruto presented Hinata with the rose. Naruto went to stand at the right, a little behind Lee, and Hinata went to stand at the left, a little behind where Sakura should be. Naruto tapped Lee on the shoulder lightly. Lee turned to see him grinning. "Ready for the big day, bushy brows?" Naruto asked as quietly as he could. Lee smiled at him. "I really am, Naruto-kun." He answered, not at all lying. Lee and Naruto looked back to see Shikamaru emerging with Ino on his arm.

Ino was wearing a dress similar to the one Hinata had been wearing, her hair completely loose. It waved behind her elegantly. For some reason, Shikamaru stared straight ahead of him, almost scared to look at Ino. His face was flustered dramatically though. He was also wearing a black suit with a red rose in his pocket. Ino was clearly enjoying herself, and kept whispering things in Shikamaru's ear who grew more flustered every time she did so. Lee smiled to see him like that. It seemed he wasn't the only one nervous. They finally reached the end, and Shikamaru slowly drew the rose out of his pocket, giving it to Ino, their eyes locking for a slight moment. Ino giggled and went to stand behind Hinata, while Shikamaru went to stand behind Naruto, his gaze now pointed at the ground.

"What's up with you Shikamaru?" Naruto whispered. "I know she looks beautiful and all but that's no excuse to look like an idiot." Shikamaru glared at him. "At least I have an excuse." He answered. Naruto opened his mouth to say something, when two more people emerged. Finally, there was Neji, with Tenten clinging joyfully onto his arm. Neji balanced a pillow on his left hand, Tenten carrying a basket. What was in it was unknown. Neji seemed to be awfully calm, but Tenten was quite red. Lee wondered if the grasp she had on Neji's arm didn't hurt the Hyuuga. Since Neji didn't show any pain, he guessed not. Tenten's dress was the same as Ino's and Hinata's but she was also wearing a silver necklace, and her hair was down. She had some cute bangs covering her forehead. Neji was wearing a black suit as well, but in his pocket was a white and a red rose.

They too reached the altar without any trouble, and before they parted, Neji bowed a little, presenting Tenten with the red rose. She giggled slightly and took it, placing it in her hair. Then, Neji almost secretly gave the white rose to Lee, whispering something in his ear. He then stood besides Shikamaru and Tenten stood besides Ino. Lee felt how his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Everyone knew what was going to come now. Lee held his breath, his hands trembling next to his body, swallowing as the music started to play. This was it! Everyone's head turned as finally, Sakura herself appeared, taking her first steps, smiling brightly. She was wearing a white dress, complete with pink pearls around the waist. The dress hugged her body until it was shaped a little rounder going down. It was almost like a dress one would wear at a ball. But this dress was much more detailed and pearly white, reflecting the sunlight. Her veil softly swayed in a breeze, together with the part of her hair that hadn't been put up.

A part of the veil was covering her face, but her emerald eyes shone right trough it, happiness radiating from them. On her left arm was Kakashi. He had actually taken off the mask he always wore, his handsome face being shown to the world. His left eye was still covered though. He smiled brightly, happy to be able to escort such an angel. Tenten took a small step forward, flung the basket she had been holding high into the air, shredding it open with a few kunai. Thousands and thousands of rose petals flew down, adding up to the bride's radiance. She giggled slightly and continued advancing down the aisle. Tenten took her place again and glanced at Neji who seemed to be enjoying the spectacle to the fullest. He seemed to really like marriage, didn't he?

Lee was simply staring at Sakura with his mouth open. Never, and truly never she had looked so immensely beautiful. And to Lee, that was saying something. He almost thought he was watching a movie, as he saw Sakura advance to the altar almost in slow-motion, everyone staring at her with good cause. Lee truly wouldn't have been surprised had she suddenly sprouted wings. She looked so angelic, the heavens simply had to be jealous at this point. Finally, they too reached the aisle, and Kakashi placed Sakura's hand into Lee's. "Take care of her." He whispered and went to stand with all groomsmen. Lee took the part of the veil covering Sakura's face with his finger, and carefully placed it behind her, revealing her blushing face. She was so beautiful.

The minister waited patiently for the music to stop and finally started the ceremony. "Dearly beloved…" Lee almost didn't hear what the minister was saying. He simply couldn't keep his eyes and mind off of Sakura. She looked so beautiful, her eyes staring straight into his. He felt like he could fly. Finally, after all this time, after all his hoping, and after all his pain, his most powerful wish was coming trough. This very moment was the happiest moment of his entire life. Nothing could ever top that, for now, Sakura would finally and truly be his.

"Present the rings." A voice suddenly said. And Lee was shaken out of his daydream when Neji held the pillow gracefully, two rings shining on it, one of them seeming so familiar since he had given it to Sakura on the Christmas party they had attended to. "Have you written your own vows?" the minister asked. Lee nodded, smiling as he took Sakura's hand in his gently.

"Sakura…" he began. "Ever since the day I met you, I knew you were the one person for me. I knew that you were destined for me, for my heart kept telling me this. I have always been happy to simply be there for you, to help you in a time of need. But when you told me you loved me, I could not have been more happier, that is until this very moment. I love every bit of you into all eternity and I will never fail in telling you this every day again. You are so very beautiful, no landscape can match your radiance. You are my shining star whenever I need to be free from the dark. You are my hope when I see nothing but despair. You are my flower in a vast desert, and the rain to feed its grace. You are an angel, and I will never allow heaven to take you back, for now you are mine." He smiled. "What more is there to say for me, other then, I love you."

Sakura shakily let out the breath she had been holding. That had been beautiful. She smiled, Lee's courage inspiring her. She placed her hand on top of the one holding her first. She too had something to say.

"Lee." She started. "I wouldn't even have been alive, if it wasn't for you. But it was your love that urged you to save me when I was in need." She smiled. "When I was younger, I was always scared of the dark. I don't know why, but I simply was. But for some reason, ever since you and I have been a 'we', I don't fear the dark, or anything for that matter anymore. You have always been the source that inspired me to do great things, your smile never ceasing to make me happy, and your arms never failing to make me feel safe. I love how I can feel that I can trust you. I love your everlasting sincerity, and I even love how very child-like you can be at times Lee." She giggled a little. "Simply put, I love everything about you, and I promise I always will. No one could prove to be a better husband to me then you. I love you Lee." She smiled as she watched a few tears fall down Lee's cheeks.

"Lee-san, take the ring in your hand." The minister softly asked. Lee did as he was told and gently took the golden ring with the emerald in it. "Repeat after me." Lee smiled, finally, the words he had to say, the last words, escaped his lips. "…with this ring, I promise to love and cherish you, to care for you, and to always be with you. With this ring, I thee wed." He placed the ring onto Sakura's finger, smiling as he saw her happiness. He watched how she too took a ring, Neji retreating with the white pillow, and listened intently to her words. "With this ring, I promise to love and cherish you, to care for you, and to always be with you. With this ring, I thee wed." Lee felt how the metal, warmed up by the sun's rays was carefully pushed around his finger, closing the deal. "I now pronounce Haruno Sakura and Rock Lee… husband and wife." The minister said. "You may kiss the bride."

Lee grinned his childlike grin, placed his hand around Sakura's waist, pulling her closer and locking their lips into a passionate kiss, right at the moment a strong wind started blowing, freeing Sakura blossoms from their branches, letting them fly softly by Lee and Sakura. Lee broke the kiss and took Sakura's hand in his. They were husband and wife. They were married! They happily walked down the isle, almost skipping. They found that the sun was already setting. Lee smiled. The celebration was about to begin. And Lee and Sakura would share their first dance as husband and wife. Oh yes, they were husband and wife! At the other end of the aisle, Lee suddenly lifted Sakura high into the air, his strong arms easily supporting her weight, and swirled her a little before letting her fall into his hug. "I love you Sakura." He said. "I love you too, Lee." Sakura responded, the feeling of the ring around her finger soothing and wonderful. And most of all, just right. Over Lee's shoulder, she watched how the last bit of sun was disappearing while above them, some stars already had begun to shine. It was simply perfect.

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And stop. Wow! Look at how much I've written! I'm so happy I hope all of you are happy with this chapter too. I spent hours looking up how a wedding ceremony is supposed to look like but found nothing, so I simply made it up. Forgive me if there are mistakes in it, alright? Now, please review!


	48. The first dance

Yay, look at this! I finally reached my goal of being in 35 people's favourites! Thank you people! It seems you all liked the marriage. I am soooo relieved. Okay, reviewers now.

Gothic Saku-chan: Thanks! I'm glad you think so Here's the update.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Scream? Why would you scream? You did? I'm so proud! I'm glad you liked it so much. I'll forgive you but only…if you update!!! Thanks

Animelover5.6: Hahaha, so cute glad you liked it!

Van the Key of Lain: Yay! I'm very happy you like it! I haven't put more work in any chapter. This one took research and everything, so I'm extra happy everyone likes it! Thanks.

Panther eyes: Aw, don't cry! I'm glad you liked it though! And that you won't gut anyone.

The Rogue Stallion: "grin" well, ask and you shall receive.

Troublesome writer: The ultimate compliment? Wow. No, I really wanted to carry on with the actual wedding so nothing too grave happened. Yup, kudos is good, thank you! I really wanted Tenten to do that for some reason. Don't you think Neji was just too cute? I'm glad you liked it. Yayness!

Bobalu: Aw, thanks! I'm glad you think so.

**And that's all of them. 8 reviews, not bad at all! Okay, I'm eager to continue, so let's, shall we?**

**On with it!!!**

_**The first dance**_

Sakura giggled as she made Lee taste a small toast with salmon on it. Lee bit down into the toast, smiling as Sakura giggled. "It is okay." Lee said, not really wanting to admit he liked it. He had told Sakura he hated it after all. Sakura smiled and ate what was left of the toast. Lee reached into his pocket, peeking Sakura's curiosity. She pretended not to notice that Lee was fishing for something and slightly turned to look at Ino who was in deep conversation with Shikamaru.

Suddenly, she felt Lee do something wit her hair, and she slightly turned her hair back to inspect what he was doing. He seemed to be tying a white rose into her hair. She waited patiently for his gaze to shift away from her hair and back into her own emerald eyes. "It suits you." He told his wife. Sakura giggled. She grinned as Neji walked past them, as if searching for something. "Say, Neji…" Sakura called out, trying to get his attention. Neji directed his attention to her, waiting. "Yes?" he asked. "Why aren't there any shrimp?" Sakura asked, oblivious to anything that had happened.

Neji's mouth fell agape and Lee was almost sure he had seen his eyes tear up. "She wanted to compliment you on that matter." Lee quickly intervened. "Since she does not look shrimp, she is pleased to see that you have taken notice of that." Neji bowed slightly. "I'm glad." He said, before carrying on. Sakura turned to look at Lee in surprise. "What was that all about? I love shrimp!" she exclaimed. Lee smiled. "You have no idea how much Neji resents shrimp at this point." Lee said. "Just grant him this, alright?" Sakura still didn't understand though. "Alright then, if you say so."

Lee took Sakura lovingly in his arms, swaying a little, as if dancing to music that couldn't be heard. "Have you realized it yet, Sakura?" Lee asked dreamily. "We are husband and wife." Sakura smiled. "Not really Lee, but it'll dawn on me soon enough." She assured the boy. Lee smiled as he felt Sakura relax in his arms. What more could he want? He let his right hand slide down to her belly absentmindedly, glad to know what was inside. "Say, Sakura?" Lee asked. Sakura had covered Lee's hand with her own by now. "What is it Lee?" Lee blushed. "Do you think you could finally tell me, what sex the babies are?" He asked. Sakura giggled and opened her mouth before…

"Ooh, I know!" Sakura's head shot to Ino. "Don't tell him." Sakura hissed. Ino blinked. "Why?" Sakura smiled. "It's his own fault." She stated. Lee simply stared at her. "Ino knows, but I don't?!" he asked completely flabbergasted. "You didn't want to know." Sakura reminded him. Lee simply hung his head. "Oh, don't worry, you'll be very pleased." Ino said. "I'm actually jealous!" Somewhere in the distance, Shikamaru could be heard gasping. Sakura laughed aloud. "I think Shikamaru will be running away from you for a while now, Ino." She said. "With the way I look? Now way!" Ino said, walking away again. Sakura giggled.

"Sakura, you are teasing me!" Lee accused. "How so?" Sakura asked. "You tell everything to Ino, but not to me." Sakura smiled. "Oh well, it's just that they made me tell with truth or dare at our sleepover the other day." Lee blinked. He could only vaguely remember that day. He had not been invited but had been forced to go out and drink something with the guys. And…well…it had rather bad consequences. "I think I told her everything I could tell." Sakura stated absentmindedly. Lee sighed and tugged Sakura gently on her waist, pulling her closer. "You are so wild." He whispered slightly. "I'm afraid you'll run off if I let you walk around too long." Sakura giggled. What kind of a statement is that? "You can say whatever you want Lee, but I'm going to keep going to sleepovers."

She thought for a second. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to have a sleepover at our house. But I'll have to kick you our of course." Lee gasped playfully. "Sakura, we just got married, and you are already kicking me out?" Sakura nibbled his nose. "You're so silly." She said softly. How she kept loosing herself in his dark eyes was a mystery to her. It was like a genjutsu spell all on its own. She felt how all worries disappeared from the world and she and Lee were all that was left, standing in a circle of light, surrounded by a world of darkness. And that is how she wanted it to be.

"Sakura, Lee!" a sudden voice interrupted her thoughts. "I must say, congratulations!" Sakura smiled politely at Gai. "Thank you, Gai-sensei." She said. "Ah, Gai-sensei, I am so happy you could be here today!" Lee cried dramatically. Sakura giggled. His inner child was emerging again. " I wouldn't have missed it for the world!" Gai replied loudly. "I was moved to tears Lee, your vows were so beautiful!" He wiped away some tears. "Thank you, Gai-sensei, I am glad you liked them." Sakura sighed. She thought she'd best let the two have some space for a while. She walked over to Tenten who was giggling at Neji for some reason.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, getting herself involved. "Oh, Sakura, congratulations!" Tenten said. Neji nodded at her. "Thanks." Sakura said happily. "But, what were you laughing about?" Tenten waved at Neji. "Neji is freaking out!" she said. "He worries about nothing at all." "Nothing at all?!" Neji cried out. "Half of the supplied shave been dropped! Dropped I tell you!" Sakura laughed slightly. "Calm down, Neji, what do you mean?" she tried. "Argh, a servant tripped and dropped food everywhere! It was a huge domino effect!" Sakura chuckled. "I'm sure its not that big of a deal, Neji." She assured. "Is at least the cake okay?"

At this, Neji's head jerked up, the boy running away mere seconds later. "Was it something I said?" Sakura asked. Tenten shrugged. "He probably simply forgot about the cake." She said, not caring at all. "I'm glad to find at least someone relaxed." Sakura said, sitting down next to Tenten with much difficulty. Sure, her dress looked nice, but it was a drag to try and even sit down with it. "So, when does the real buffet start?" Sakura asked, getting hungry. She watched Gai talking to Kakashi. Where had Lee gone to? "After your first dance." Tenten said. "When you finish that, the buffet-carts will be rolled somewhere here, and then people can either eat or dance.

Sakura giggled slightly. Yes, their first dance as husband and wife. "So, how does it feel to be married?" Tenten asked. She sounded so eager to know, it made Sakura wonder… "Oh, Tenten, it feels marvellous." She answered the question. "It is wonderful to know that you have found the person who wants to spend the rest of his life with you, knowing you feel the same. It feels so safe and absolute and so very secure. I love it!" She glanced at Tenten. "You really want to get married, don't you?" Sakura asked. Tenten gulped, blushing somewhat. "N-No, that's not, I-I simply…." She sighed. "Alright fine, so what if I do?"

Sakura smiled. Tenten could be so different at times. She couldn't help but wonder if Neji would ever shove his cool attitude aside to ask her. "Tenten, you're still young." Sakura consoled. "You know as well as I do that you're not even allowed to be married yet, me and Lee… is just a…special case." She sighed, getting rid of the memories. "Just wait a couple more years. Neji will ask you eventually, trust me." Sakura only hoped she was right. Tenten seemed happier though. She pulled Sakura into a hug. "Thank you, Sakura, I'll believe you." She said. Sakura wrapped her arms softly around the girl. "Great." She said.

"I found the cake!" a triumphant voice yelled. Tenten released Sakura and looked at her own love of her life. "Wasn't it simply in the fridge in the storage room?" Tenten teased. Neji's eyes went wide. "You knew?" he asked, as if he had just found out about a huge crime. He stomped towards Tenten, the girl running off, ending up being chased by Neji. Well, at least she was happy. Sakura grinned as she looked back at her finger. That ring seemed to make her happier every time she looked at it. "Enjoying yourself?" a voice asked. Sakura looked up to find Lee looking at her happily. His eyes were filled with joy.

He held out his hand, waiting for Sakura to take it. "We are up Sakura." He explained. "It is time." Sakura giggled as she took Lee's hand, feeling how the boy gently, yet strongly pulled her upright. She wasn't nervous, not at all! This was just a wonderful part of their wonderful life together, that had started today. She looked up to find a full moon shining down at her. Stars surrounded it, some brighter then others, but all equally visible. Sakura looked back to find Lee staring at her. As soon as she caught him doing so, the boy shyly looked away. Sakura giggled. He was so cute.

The crowd suddenly went quiet as Ino tapped her glass loudly, Shikamaru sitting there, slouched down next to the blond. "It's time for the first dance, people!" she said. "And it will be performed by our own Sakura and Lee!" She pointed her fork at someone who suddenly started playing a piano. Wow, Neji had really taken care of everything, hadn't' he? The sounds the piano brought forth were clear and beautiful, it drew everyone into a sort of sweet slumber, as they watched how Sakura and Lee slowly started to move, in the middle of everything and everyone, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

Candles were burning, music was playing, everyone was filled with joy, and best of all, Lee was dancing with his bride, his love, his wife… simply, his own. He tenderly held her hand in his, placing his other hand on her waist, enjoying the feeling of her free hand on his shoulder. They started moving slowly, as the wind grazed them gently, their hairs blowing in the gentle breeze spring had brought forth. Sakura moved so very elegantly, Lee could easily compare her to a swan. He drew her a bit closer, sensing her pleasure as their eyes locked gazes once more. This is when it finally dawned to him. She was his forever. And he was hers. They would now forever share their lives. Lee could picture nothing more beautiful.

He drew Sakura into a hug, and kept dancing with the girl sighing softly into his neck, her warm breath caressing his skin. They simply kept dancing.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

And stop. Okay people, help me out here…where do you think Sakura and Lee should go on a honeymoon? Or shouldn't they go at all? Please help me, because I can't think of anywhere! I'm planning on letting them stay but that seems so…unreal. So please tell me which destination you would like to see them end up in? Oh, and before I forget, even if you don't know of a place, please do review? "grins sheepishly."


	49. Beginning of a journey

Yay! You people seemed to like last chapter as well, eh? It seems I'm on a roll here! Also, your suggestions have really helped me out! Now, your answers…

Gothic Saku-chan: somewhere, huh? Haha, thanks for your review.

Runlittlepiggy: Howdy! I'm glad you do! Er… your ideas are wonderful…for a humour fic, it doesn't suit mine. Thanks for your suggestions though. And, I like Deidara too

StrawberrySakuraChan: Thank you! I'll consider it all! Thanks for your help

RaeVenn: I'm glad you did I love making fun of Neji. Yay! Internet returned!

Animelover5.6: "blink" OCD? I'm glad you liked it.

Sasuke121: Well, thank you. I'm glad you think so, but truly, you give me too much credit. Now, for your idea, it's good, but it doesn't match my story, Tsunade said he doesn't get missions for a while, but I really think you should write a story about it, okay?

Panther eyes: I love Neji like that too. Of course Lee stays the same, otherwise I wouldn't like writing about him. I'm jealous of Sakura too.

Van the Key of Lain: I don't know why. Er… it seems so traditional and can be twisted into something of your own creation easily. Hm… I think I will use your idea. Thank you!

Lady IkoYume: hmm no, she's not that far yet. Only 2 or 3 months. Thanks though.

Troublesome writer: The snow country? Good idea! Thank you, I'll combine it with someone else's idea. Geez, you really want something bad to happen do you? Don't worry, something will happen eventually, but not yet. If you have an idea for something bad, please tell me. How do I do it? I simply envision it, then write it down thanks for your review.

Bobalu: Yeah, it'll be somewhere awesome! Thanks!

The16thday: Thanks for your idea, but I already decided on something else, thanks though, it's a lovely idea. Fluff will appear, no matter what so don't worry. Thanks!

**And that's all of them. This will be the last chapter I write being 17. Yayness! Or not. "sniffle" anyways, I'd like to thank troublesome writer and Van the Key of Lain for their ideas and the permission for me to use them.**

**On with it!**

_**Beginning of a journey**_

Sakura was talking with Hinata, blushing like mad. Lee was talking to Tenten, seeing how Neji was still running around, trying to discover all faults and spots that could still tarnish the party. It was funny how the Hyuuga could still think things could go wrong, because for both Lee and Sakura, the night couldn't have gone more perfect, and nothing could destroy it still, even if Sasuke himself dropped in. But everyone knew Lee could kick his ass in no time.

"Lee, are you guys going to go somewhere?" Tenten asked, the distracted boy. He had been glancing at Sakura for a while now. But who could blame him? He simply loved her laughter as she conversed happily with Hinata. She looked beautiful too. Tenten's voice had brought him out of his daze though. "Naturally Tenten-chan, you know me well enough to understand that I would organize a special trip for both me and Sakura." Tenten giggled. "Of course I do Lee." She responded, patting the boy on his shoulder.

"So, when are you going to leave?" she asked. "Any minute now." Lee said, glancing all around him. "I have planned something but I cannot quite predict when the… plan… arrives." Tenten raised an eyebrow. This was getting extremely intriguing, but knowing Lee, it was something extremely romantic. "But Lee…" Tenten tried to argue. "Neji will have a heart attack if you leave this early." Lee smiled. "I am sure he will be alright." He assured the joking Tenten. He looked up to see the starry sky. "But you must admit, Tenten-chan, that the time is perfect for doing anything romantic." Tenten looked up at the sky with him and could do nothing but agree with him. In the distance, Sakura's laughter sounded once more.

"So, are you going somewhere?" Hinata asked, after her fit of giggles stopped. Sakura blinked. "I don't really know." She said, lifting her index finger to touch her lips innocently. "I don't know if Lee has planned anything seeing I'm pregnant and stuff." Sakura sighed. "But you're not that close to having the babies yet, are you?" Hinata asked, surprised. Sakura smiled. "I'm 2 months and a half far now." She said. "So no, but still…" Secretly, she was really hoping that something was planned out, but she shouldn't get her hopes up too far, since you indeed never knew.

Suddenly, Sakura heard gasping and she turned to see a chariot pulled by a black horse, red roses decorating the chariot itself stop somewhere near Neji who turned even paler then he already was. The driver was a handsome man with a high hat, with what seemed to be a violin case placed next to him. Sakura cocked her head a little, trying to understand what could possibly be going on. She was surprised when all of a sudden, someone took her hand ever so gently. She looked at Lee with questions in her eyes, the boy simply smiling at her as he pulled her to the chariot.

Sakura giggled. So, Lee really had something planned, didn't he? She should've known. He probably hadn't been able to resist. Lee helped her climb into the chariot elegantly, Sakura shifting to make room for Lee. He stepped in as well, locking fingers with Sakura, looking into her eyes. "Are you ready to leave?" he asked. Sakura blinked. "Where to?" she asked. Lee chuckled. "That, my dear cherry blossom, is a secret." Sakura smiled at him again. "Er…Lee, will we be gone for long?" Lee nodded. "But, what about clothes?" Sakura asked. "Packed." Lee answered. "And what about Akemi?" Sakura asked, reminding him of the dog that had grown quite a bit since she had bought the animal.

"I already left him with Ino." Lee said, smiling. Sakura looked at Ino with big surprise in her eyes. Ino simply winked at her. "You are not the only one who can keep secrets, Sakura." Lee said, chuckling. "Wait! Where are you going?!" came a sudden, distressed voice. "Away." Lee answered, smiling at Neji. "But…but, you can't" Neji argued. Sakura laughed. "Don't worry Neji, everything went perfectly, nothing can go wrong anymore." Sakura assured the Hyuuga. Neji simply sighed. "We are off, alright?" Lee said. Sakura nodded and the driver ordered for the horse to start moving again.

They left while all guests cheered them on, all in their own way. Tenten was even crying. She loved weddings. Neji simply sighed and draped his arm around Tenten's shoulder. Everything was over now.

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Sakura snuggled up into Lee's arms, enjoying his warmth, enjoying his softness and enjoying his ability to protect her and his wish to do so. The driver tightened the reigns of the horse around the chariot and took the violin out of the case, gently starting to play it, creating a melody that pronounced a song more wonderful then Sakura's ears had ever been able to hear. The sounds – she was sure – could reach into heaven, making the very angels themselves weep because of their beauty. The song itself, she had never heard before, but it was soft, slow and soothing, almost lulling her to sleep, Lee's protective silence contributing to this feeling, but the gentle warm breeze and the sight of the road of stars before her, keeping her from drifting off.

She had no idea as to where they could be going, nor did she want to know. At this moment, she was sure the journey itself was pleasurable enough to keep up for days, weeks if necessary. But she was rather sure, this shining moment would last as short as all others had done, but the thought that many more were still to come soothed her. She really had found happiness because of Lee, hadn't she? She sighed deeply, resulting in Lee to chuckle cutely. "I take it you are feeling content?" he whispered softly, not wanting to disturb the soft music coming from the violin. Sakura nodded, her hand softly stroking Lee's chest. She put her head on his chest as well, the sound of his beating heart finally able to close her eyes, not quite causing her to fall asleep yet, her senses still picking up every signal. Dully, yes, but still.

She didn't know how long it had taken, nor did she know when the music had stopped playing, but she realized it had when all of a sudden, a warm hand shook her softly. A warm hand, with long fingers, the skin a little rough, proof that hard work had formed from them. "Open your eyes, Sakura, and see where we are." Sakura groaned cutely as she did what she was told. She opened her eyes to find herself no longer in the fire country, but in the snow country. The only thing was, because it was spring, there was not a speck of snow to be seen. The beauty of wildflowers and wide, reaching horizon's covered by the same night sky they had back in the fire country radiated from the scenery, amazing Sakura. She looked at Lee to find him staring at her, a smile decorating his soft lips.

Sakura reached out and kissed those lips, finding them to be a bit too irresistible at the moment. She sighed contently as her fingers still grazed those lips, Lee blinking at her weary actions. "I love it Lee." Sakura said. "But why are we here?" Lee smiled as he once more wrapped the kunoichi safely in his strong arms. "That is still a secret." Lee said. "But do not worry, we will be there shortly." He let his long fingers slide across her face gently, closing her eyes softly. "Try and get some sleep, though." He said, putting his chin on top of her head, closing his eyes himself. Lee shouldn't even have said it, seeing how Sakura had fallen asleep as soon as her eyelids were closed.

Lee too had fallen asleep, his grip on his wife not loosening though, as if wanting to protect her even in her dreams. And so, they continued onwards, the weather staying mild and warm, causing them to stay asleep. No enemy nins ever dropped in to harm them, as if luck was finally on their side, and the violin that had continued playing gently kept them in their own worlds, that had been intertwined a short while ago, almost promising them no harm and no sorrow. Promising them a good life, and everything they could possibly dream of having. It was a soothing song.

Sakura didn't know how long she had slept, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw that the sun was already shining brightly on top of the world, in the sky above them. She let her eyes dart freely, seeing how her body was unable to, and found that Lee was sleeping cutely, his arms around her in a protective way. She let her hand creep up to his chest and let it rest there, turning over her body so she was face to face with the sleeping boy. She loved to look at him when he was asleep, he simply was so cute. She kissed him on the lips, finding how he suddenly smiled in his dream. Sakura grinned and looked at the scenery, right at the point where the driver suddenly announced:

"Miss, we are here. The hidden village of the falls."

Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

That's it for today! I hope you all enjoy reading it, because I enjoyed writing it. Please keep up your reviewing, and don't forget, if you ever stumble across an idea, don't hesitate to fill me in. "grin" see you tomorrow!


	50. Near fatalities

Yay! Today I reach so many points! One, it's my 18th birthday today. Two, on this 18th birthday, I reach chapter 50 and at the same time 100 000 words. And that was not calculated! How cool is that?! Also, today, I've reached 400 reviews! "sigh" how wonderful. Oh, and for those who care, I updated my profile page, it was old! Okay, now my reviewers…

The16thday: Oh, don't say that, every idea is good, it's just the way you use it.

Animelover5.6: Okay, thanks for the explanation. Yes, fluff, and lots of it, I love it!

Bobalu: "blink" what? The place is made up you know. Indeed, honeymoon.

StrawberrySakuraChan: Good, I hope to see your update soon. Yup, Lee is sweet as always. Swimming? Hm, good idea "evil grin"

Panther eyes: "blink" Murphy? Everyone wishes to have a guy like him. "sigh" can't Sakura just see that? Anyways, thanks.

xoSweetEscape: Thank you! But no, I'm not taking a day off. "grin"

The Rogue Stallion: Even though? You don't like fluff?

KankurosBandGeek2010: Really? I'm so glad! Hahaha, you simply want Lee to be yours? So you simply want him to be alone throughout the entire series? Heh I'm glad though.

Van the Key of Lain: Yup, chapter 50 and I simply loved the combination of both your ideas. I'm glad you wanted to help me out, really thanks!

Gothic Saku-chan: Thanks! Here's the update.

Troublesome writer: Well, when I read your review this morning, it was, so thanks! I'm going to invite lots of friends but that's all from your list. Heheh. I loved the simulation though. Well, I liked it, and thus I wanted it. I'd like to thank you again. Well, I hope you get to read both chapters fast. Thanks for your review…of the chapter you haven't read. Haha, so funny.

**And that's all of them! Ooh, my brother gave me a hitai-ate for my birthday, so now I'm like a Konoha ninja! Alright, on to the 50th chapter.**

**On with it **

_**Near fatalities**_

Sakura gently shook Lee awake, who wearily opened his eyes with a look of confusion so great, Sakura couldn't help but laugh as loud as her voice permitted her to. Lee released the death grip he had on Sakura and sat up, the events of the previous days coming back to him. When he took in the environment, his eyes widened. "Oh, right!" he semi-yelled. Sakura giggled. That boy was so cute! Lee hopped out of the carriage and took Sakura's hand, gently escorting her out of the carriage carefully.

"You look beautiful." Lee complimented. Sakura sighed. "Good morning to you too, Lee." She said grinning. Lee blushed slightly, wrapping his arm around Sakura's waist. He walked to the driver of the carriage and handed him something. "I thank you for your services, sir." Lee said politely. "It has truly been great." The man smiled, tapped his hat and took off again. "Lee, how're we gonna get back?" Sakura asked. Lee silenced her with his hand that had crept up to her mouth, past her shoulders to put a finger on her lips. "Please do not worry about a thing, Sakura." He answered. "Just trust I me. I have taken care of everything." Sakura smiled. "Alright, Lee."

They walked trough the gates, only to be stopped by a chuunin. Lee stroked Sakura's hair to reassure her and addressed the chuunin. "Good day sir." He said politely. "Good day." The chuunin answered. "May I ask your names and identification?" Sakura blinked at Lee. She didn't have identification with her yet, and where their bags were supposed to be, she didn't know. "Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura." Lee said, fishing two measly papers out of his pocket. He handed them to the chuunin who accepted them with a smile. "Alright, we've been told about your coming to visit us." He said, handing the papers back to Lee. "I hope you have a pleasant stay here, sir." Lee nodded, smiling friendly and – to Sakura's opinion – cutely. "I am sure we will." He answered. "Thank you for your kindness." He bowed slightly and took Sakura's hand, guiding her further into this city.

It truly was beautiful. It was put in a valley, between 3 steep cliffs, the gate being in the only real wall the village had. The 3 steep cliffs guided three gigantic waterfalls down onto the ground, landing in a combined river/lake, surrounding the many houses that were built on small patches of dry land, combined with bridges. Flowers grew around the houses, one long path being surrounded by big, blossoming cherry trees, leading to somewhere behind one of the waterfalls. In the lake itself, there were the water laid perfectly still, grew many lotuses. The houses themselves were made of wood, cutely and reasonably small but in perfect shape.

"Wow, it's beautiful here!" Sakura gasped slightly. Lee grinned. "I knew that you would like it." He responded, kissing her hair somewhat. Most people here were dressed in light blue clothing, as could be noticed when said people brushed past them, smiling at them in a most friendly way every time eyes met. The people here seemed to be very kind as well. "Come on…" Lee said, taking Sakura's hand again. "We need to go check into our hotel, get out of these clothes and have some fun!" Sakura nodded slowly, still not understanding how she could possibly change without having any clothing in the near area, but she simply decided to let Lee guide her to wherever. He had asked her to trust him so she would.

Finally, they came to a hotel, that seemed to be much bigger then any of the houses. It too was made of wood, but was also strengthened with metal here and there. It still looked cosy and homey though, especially because of the flowers surrounding it, and the many tables occupied by friendly people having a conversation about whatever. Some of them greeted Lee and Sakura as they walked past them, and Lee – being the friendly guy he is – greeted them back with a hearty smile, Sakura a bit too shy at this point to say anything. She simply smiled, glad that Lee was such a socially skilled person.

They entered and Lee released Sakura's hand, walking to the counter, while Sakura inspected the place. There were many windows in here, and candles were placed on two tables and in chandeliers hanging from the walls. None were lit. And one stairway led upstairs, too far for Sakura to observe. It was decorated with a light green coloured carpet. "Reservations on name of Rock Lee, please." Lee said happily, smiling at the lady helping him right now. Said lady – who looked about 17 years old – blushed slightly and looked something up between a bundle of papers. "Ah, Rock Lee." She said in a sweet voice. "You have room 32, and everything has already arrived." She said. "Perfect." Lee said grinning. "I thank you very much miss." He said. The girl gave him a key, blushing slightly as their hands touched, Sakura – who had just seen this – frowning somewhat at her reaction. She quickly jumped in, grabbing Lee's arm, clinging to it somewhat, Lee looking at her a tad confused. "What is wrong, Sakura?" he asked a bit worried. Sakura smiled. "Nothing, just felt the urge to be close to you." She answered. Lee smiled at her and gently kissed her, Sakura loving the look in he girl's eyes. She simply wanted her to know Lee was his, Lee oblivious to this whole thing.

"Let us go, Sakura." Lee said, pulling her out of her thoughts and onto the stairway. Sakura could actually feel the piercing eyes of the girl follow her, but she felt perfectly safe, being in Lee's arms again. She could feel at home anywhere, as long as she had those arms. They went up to find a long hallway with doors on either side, curly numbers organizing them, a stairway leading up to more chambers at the end of said hallway. But their number was on their floor, so they walked up to their door, Lee unlocking it with his key, gently pushing it open. Sakura was just about to step inside when she felt a strong tug on her arm. She looked up to find Lee grinning at her.

"Oh no." he said. "This is the first time you enter this place and the first time we enter it as husband and wife so…" And with a swift and powerful sweep he lifted Sakura into his strong arms, grinning, while Sakura giggled like a little girl. "I find it more then normal to carry you over the threshold." And so they entered the room, the bed in the centre the first thing that sprung into sight. Lee softly put Sakura down on the bed, smiling at her. "And here we are." He said happily. Sakura giggled as she felt how the bed moved underneath her. "It's a waterbed Lee." She chirped. Lee chuckled. "As could be expected from this play, do you not think so?"

Sakura smiled. "I guess you're right." She said. Lee saw a door and went in, as if searching for something. "Ah, here they are!" Lee said triumphantly. Sakura lifted herself from the bed in curiosity. "What?" she asked. Lee came out again with a bundle of suitcases in his strong, big hands. "Our clothes." He said. Sakura blinked, seeing that one of the suitcases was clearly hers, finding the colour to be pink, so she quickly snatched it away from Lee, giggling all the while, opening it to get rid of the question 'what clothes did he bring for me?'. She opened it with a great swing. She gasped at the first thing that she saw. It wasn't hers, but it sure wasn't Lee's either. "It is a little surprise for you." Lee explained.

It was a green dress, and no, not the ugly green that was the famous colour of an even more famous jumpsuit, but rather the colour of an early spring field. It was soft, it was light and for some reason, the colour almost seemed gentle, and soothing. It had no sleeves and was built up of two layers, one very thin, and the other a bit thicker, but just right for the kind for temperature this spring brought. It was cut out a bit deep, but still appropriate and on both sides of the dress there was a little split, to create the ability of movement.

"Oh Lee, it's lovely!" Sakura gasped. Lee grinned. So he had found a form of his favourite colour that his love did seem to like. Victory point for him. Sakura immediately ran to what would be the bathroom and closed the door to get dressed. She was rather pleased to get out of the wedding dress. It was starting to suffocate her after all. And it attracted a bit too many looks to her liking. She put on the dress and felt that it fit her perfectly. Lee was really good at picking clothes, wasn't he? What kind of a wonder was he? It felt very light and comfortable. Good! "Sakura, take your bathing suit too, if you will!" Lee' voice yelled. Sakura came out of the bathroom again to find Lee gone. "Where are you?" she asked. "In the other room Sakura, putting on something more comfortable." A voice responded. Sakura smiled and went trough her suitcase once more to dig up a bikini. Had Lee really packed everything or what? She put it in a plastic bag she had found somewhere and took it with her. Then, Lee too re-entered the bedroom chamber and smiled when he saw Sakura. "You look great." He said. Sakura smiled. "I like this dress too." She said cheerfully.

Lee grinned. "Good, so are you ready to go swimming now?" he asked. "I have found a spot that barely anyone ever seems to visit." Sakura raised an eyebrow at this. When exactly had Lee come here to investigate and prepare all of this? Oh well, it didn't bother her at all. "Alright, I'm ready." She said. Lee was wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, much to Sakura's surprise. "Where are your legwarmers?" Sakura asked. Lee blushed slightly. "Underneath the trousers, Sakura." He said. Sakura giggled. He was so cute.

They walked out of their room again, and down the stairs, to find the same girl jerk her head up to them as soon as they came in sight. Lee greeted her with a wave of his hand and Sakura smiled sweetly at her. Sure, she seemed to like Lee, but she knew Lee was hers, and he always would be. "We are going out now." Lee said. "Bye." The girl didn't even respond, she simply stared at her shoes. Sakura sighed. Perhaps she felt a bit sorry for her. She knew what it was like to love someone and not be loved in return after all. If that was what this girl was feeling. But on the other hand, she didn't know the slightest thing about Lee, so she couldn't really be in love anyways, right?

She shrugged it off as they kept walking though. They crossed a few bridges, Sakura holding onto Lee's strong arm, and finally arrived at the path of cherry blossoms they had seen earlier. They walked trough it, Sakura enjoying how every now and then, a few pink petals would cross their path, the wind amusing them. Lee seemed to enjoy the sight as much as she did. Sakura looked at the water that held a lotus every few feet. This place was simply a fairytale. But Lee always seemed to make everything a fairytale.

They finally arrived at the end of the cherry blossom path, and as Lee had told Sakura, there, behind one of the waterfalls, was a beautiful place to swim, the un's radiance lighting it up from behind the waterfall, green plants growing at the edges of it. "I will find a place to put our clothes, why do you not get that bikini on while I do?" Lee suggested. Sakura nodded and did as she was told. It didn't take long for her to get into the bikini. Her slightly larger stomach stood out, but no one but Lee would see it, and he knew the reason if it. She stroked it gently. It would get a bit bigger still, but she didn't mind. She simply couldn't wait for the arrival of the two children.

She was so very deeply sunk away in thought that she didn't notice a certain person sneaking up to her. That person swiftly striking Sakura on the head, quite heavily, the girl falling forward unconscious and landing into the water with a great splash, her body now slowly starting to sink to the bottom she could never have guessed to be so far away. Blackness was now all that existed, and darkness was her world.

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And that's that. Look, I ended with a cliffie again! Those have disappeared for a while haven't they? But they're back, so enjoy reading them. "sigh" I'm done for today and man, it's a close call. Buh-bye And please review. No, this is not the end.


	51. Anger of the heart

I'm gonna start right away, no time… Reviewers…

Gothic Saku-chan: You haven't realized? Good. "grin"

StrawberrySakuraChan: Yup, I used your idea. It seems you're a clever one. Heheh

The Rogue Stallion: Well well, who knows eh? It angers you? I wonder why…

Animelover5.6: Yup, halfway there, we'll see if I ever reach 100. er…always troublesome.

Bobalu: "gasp" Is that a real village? Oh my! I didn't know! Heheh, I'm afraid you're mistaken.

KankurosBandGeek2010: I think you are. Heheh.

Katie Uchiha: Aw thanks. It's not really a stalker, but you'll see.

Panther eyes: Well, bad things should happen. Ah, thanks for telling me that. Hmm… drama remains drama, right?

Van the Key of Lain: "teary eyes" I didn't know the village was real. Stupid, huh? Thanks, I like writing cliffies. It always feels awesome.

Muzyk-n-art: Good question, very good question. You'll see.

**That's all. Forgive me if this chapter is shorter but I have NO TIME!!! Heheh **

**On with it!!!**

_**Anger of the heart**_

Sakura was slightly aware of the sensation she was feeling as her eyes slowly opened again. She was floating if not sinking in a substance quite different from air. Talking about air, she didn't have any left anymore and she was in desperate need of the cool breath she wanted so desperately to draw. Her reflexes made her try but all that resulted in was her swallowing water. She wanted to swim upwards again but her arms and legs felt heavy, weary and simply paralyzed. Her mind was only working halfly and she was not even sure of the danger she was being pulled into.

Her body made her try to draw another breath but it failed once more as more water poured into her body, not giving her what she needed. The weariness in her head was not clearing, only getting heavier, and she knew, even though it was difficult to realize at this moment, that she was done for. She closed her eyes again and allowed her body to drift down even more, until all of a sudden, she felt a wave of air enter her longs. Sakura drowsily opened her eyes one last time to see Lee press his mouth tightly against hers, then disconnecting their mouths and tugging her forcefully on her waist as he swam upwards, dragging her with him in quick haste. All Sakura could do was close her eyes and fall into darkness.

Black. The colour black. Where are my feet taking me? I don't… know. Should I even be going somewhere? I have the feeling I should wait right here…right here. I shouldn't go anywhere. Why is it so difficult to stay here though? Why? I…want to stay. My mouth is dry…why? Does that even matter? What is this pressure I feel? And what is that voice? I am all alone here…all alone.

Sakura felt how she finally took in a sharp breath, her longs pressing out the water that had invaded them. She turned her head from wherever and spat out the liquid onto the ground, coughing harshly, her eyes shut tight. She almost didn't even feel the warmth embracing her, the comforting hands on her shoulders and the dripping sensation of something wet sliding down her face. She opened her eyes to find Lee bent over her, his hands indeed on her shoulders as if trying to calm her down, while she really hadn't' moved much. His hair was dripping with the water of the lake, now dripping into Sakura's face, each drop bringing her back to reality a bit further.

He was oddly pale and gasping for breath himself. The boy was never out of breath. Never. How deep into the water had she sunk? Lee seemed to be tired as hell. Sakura lifted herself up a tad with her elbows, looking at Lee with concern in her eyes. "Are you…okay?" she asked carefully, feeling how the warmth returned to her heart. Lee softly touched her cheek, wiping a drop away. Sakura was sure that he normally would've embraced her, but he probably wanted to be careful. His hand slid to the back of her head softly, and Sakura winced as he touched a soar spot.

Lee didn't even seem to be surprised. He pulled back his hand to reveal the blood that was stuck on it. "I am alright…Sakura." He gasped. "But it is you I am worried about. Who has done this to you? Tell me!" It wasn't a question, it was an order. A rather loud order at that. The first part of the sentence at least showed some worry still but the last part held nothing but anger. Sakura couldn't help but flinch at his hard tone, feeling like a child that was scolded. She had done nothing wrong of course.

Lee sighed rather shakily. "I was so worried that I would not make it on time, Sakura." He admitted. "So worried. I swam and swam, and still you were drifting father away from me. I have done everything I could, and I still tried to save you. I am so glad you are okay! But…I do not want this to happen again, so please tell me who did this. Please?" Sakura frowned. "I don't know Lee, I really don't." she now felt her head as well, drawing back, hissing slightly as she felt that pain again, blood on her hand. "We have to get you back to the hotel." Lee said worriedly. "I do not think your injury is grave but we must be sure." He smiled as he carefully lifted Sakura from the ground, grasping their clothing, taking it with him.

"Do not worry though, I will still make this a pleasurable journey." Sakura smiled. He really tried so hard. "Alright, thanks, Lee." She responded, feeling how his arms supported her in walking back to the hotel. She wouldn't fall, she knew this. And eventually, they reached the hotel again, Lee now half-dragging Sakura in. He would've carried her if she hadn't' been so sure of wanting to walk herself. She could be rather stubborn at times. The girl at the counter looked up in surprise as they came in, slight shock hazing her eyes for a few seconds. "Please, miss er…" Lee started. "Sakura." The girl said. Lee blinked slightly, not sure what to say to that, but seeing how his own Sakura was slumping in his arms he saw that he had to tend to the urgency of the matter.

"Alright, Sakura-san, could you please hand me some bandages, if you could? For you see…" he gestured at Sakura with his head. "She is hurt." The girl who had introduced herself as Sakura sprinted to one of the cabinets and pulled out some bandages. "Are these alright?" she asked, handing them to Lee. Lee nodded. "They are fine, thank you." He now lifted Sakura in his arms, not caring about her not wanting him to at the moment, and carried her over the steps, going to their room. Sakura had lost quite some blood already.

Lee opened the door with the key he had fished out of his wet trousers, and stepped in, putting Sakura on the bed very softly and running into the bathroom. He wet a cloth rather hastily and went back to Sakura who was sighing heavily. He sat himself down next to her and gently tiled her head a bit so he could reach the wound, very carefully getting rid of the blood clouding the surrounding area. After this, he tied the bandages around her head, not too tight, but tight enough, making sure she wouldn't loose anymore blood.

"Can I get you anything, Sakura?" Lee asked, worried about his love. "Er…" Sakura hesitated. "Perhaps a vanilla ice-cream?" Lee laughed loudly. "That…I can do." He chuckled. "I will be right back, Sakura." He then said, walking out of the door again. Sakura put herself down on the bed again, not able to sleep as she realized herself, simply waiting for anything. It wasn't even a minute after Lee had left that the door opened again. Sakura looked up to find the girl who shared her name right there. She was not acting too innocently though. As a matter of fact, she slowly came creeping towards Sakura, a knife shining in her raised, right hand, ready to plunge itself into Sakura's body, ready to kill.

"Lee is mine." She said

And down came the knife.

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Now THIS is a mean cliffie. Good! I can't make it any longer because I have to GO! So, please review, and buh-bye!


	52. End

Okay, I have some more time now. "sigh" sorry, but yesterday was kind of hectic and all. But, no harm done, I got my chapter out on time, and here's the next one! But first: reviewers!

StrawberrySakuraChan: I know! It's sad! But it has to happen, right? Please do survive, yes.

RaeVenn: Yup, I've got both, many, many times. I'm glad you like it. So yay too!

xoSweetEscape: I hope she doesn't do that too, I mean, sjeesj! Good idea though. Thanks

Animelover5.6: Haha, fangirls are always insane, but that's good. Alright, for you

Raven's soul sister: Actually, I thought it was very interesting is that really true? Cool! Since I'm not a pro, I just made something up, you know? I can make a valentine's chappie yes, just for you, but if you would be so kind as to remind me of that at least a day before valentine? Yup, trying to reach 100 chapters at least, and thanks.

Panther eyes: The babies? What about Sakura? I have a Kakashi headband

The Rogue Stallion: Yup, you knew it! I agreed, Lee would kill her.

Gothic Saku-chan: Yup, always the evil one, and loving it! Enjoy.

Magical kitty: Hahaha. I am so thankful! I'm glad you decided to read it anyways too. Thank you so much for your nice compliment. I'm glad you like my writing. Yup, I'm mean?

The16thday: I agree! Stupid fangirl. Aw, don't cry though.

ByakuganNeji0908: Really? Do you like it better then this story even? Yeah, go twists!

**And that's all of them. I don't have anything to say right now, so we'll start immediately.**

**On with it.**

_**End**_

Sakura had thrown herself slightly to the back of the bed, but that distance was relatively short, and the other Sakura was sure to hit Sakura straight in the belly. If sudden circumstances hadn't prevented her to. A hand was wrapped tightly around the knife, blood leaking trough bandages onto the ground. "As I suspected." A voice growled. Sakura gasped at the sight of her lover having caught another bullet for her, ending up in a rather bloody mess. The other Sakura turned her head, almost as if playing innocently, to stare into the angry, dark eyes of Lee.

Lee used his other hand to grasp the girl's hand that was still clasped tightly around the knife, twisted it slightly to the right, positioning him in front of her, suddenly, pushing down onto the wrist, while bending forward, causing the girl to drop to her knees, and to drop the knife. Lee wasn't done yet though. He took his hand pressed it onto the girl's elbow and then turned dragging her with him, causing her to land flat face onto the floor. He sat himself with his left knee on her back, keeping her arm straight by still keeping the pressure on her elbow.

He never was one to hit a girl, or even attack one head on, so he decided that some mild juu-taijutsu (A/N throws and holds) was enough. Sakura had barely even seen this move and blinked slightly when she suddenly found her attacker on the ground, gasping in pain as Lee held her arm. Lee growled. "I knew it was you." He said. "You do not truly believe that I would leave Sakura all alone while her attacker was not identified yet, do you?" he asked almost mockingly. The girl gasped as Lee pressed down on her arm a bit farther. "Why though? Why did you do it?" Lee asked.

A few tears now rolled down the girl's cheek. If they were from the pain, or true sadness, or even if they were false was unknown. "You nearly killed the girl most precious to me in the whole wide world, and the children she carried, _our_ children!" he yelled, nearly unable to hold back his anger. "Do you realize what you were about to do? What you have tried to do before?" More tears ran down the girl's cheek, as she shakily tried to slide herself into a more comfortable position, Lee's knee keeping her from doing so.

"I simply wanted to…to be yours." She explained. "I couldn't reach this goal as long as she was alive." She said, referring to Sakura. Lee was mildly taken aback but didn't release the girl. "I'm in love with you." The girl said. Sakura – completely cured from her shock – jumped down from the bed, standing strongly, her eyes furious. "How can you say that?" she asked. "You don't even know him!" Lee seemed to try and say something but didn't manage to. "Does that matter?" the girl screamed back. "It does. You can't love someone when you don't know him." Sakura said. "For it's the person you like, including habits looks, sense of fashion, weirdness and much more." She said, trying to knock some sense into the girl. "You can't say you truly know Rock Lee if you haven't even seen him do a nice guy pose."

Her eyes searched Lee's frantically, but his head was bent down, his hair covering those eyes. What was wrong with him? She continued though. "Now I, for one, am truly capable of saying that I love him." She sighed, falling down onto the ground weakly, as if exhaustion had overcome her, but she simply didn't want to stand up anymore, her racing mind telling her to slow down for a second. She saw how Lee's eyes shot to her for a second when she did though, but she smiled at him, telling him without using words she was okay.

No one said anything for a long while now, and no one seemed to care. Everyone was sucked into their own musings. No one had moved, and the girl was still cringing from the pain Lee was causing her, Lee not even putting force on the arm anymore, simply holding it in place, thinking over other things. Sakura didn't have much to think about though. Sure, she escaped an almost certain death, but that she had quite often now. And fine, so another girl was in love with Lee, or so she thought, but Lee only loved her, only existed for her, and she knew this. So perhaps the tension did creep up to her just a bit, she simply didn't show it.

"What are we going to do now?" Sakura whispered softly? She hadn't even realized she had asked that question aloud, simply wanting to find a solution in her mind. She heard the words escape her lips though. Lee slightly turned his head to her, revealing two very confused eyes. He clearly wouldn't be able to answer her question anyways. "I do not know, Sakura." He said. "I do not know what to do…what _should_ I do?" his gaze turned to the girl in his grasp for a second, swiftly returning to Sakura. Sakura frowned. "What's your problem, Lee? What's wrong?" Lee sighed. "Sakura, besides you, no one has ever told me that they… loved or even liked me." He frowned in concentration and slight anxiety. "I do not know how to cope with this. I am afraid to release her, simply because I am not sure if she will lash out to you again, or not." Sakura averted her eyes to Lee's blooded hand, hissing at the gruesome sight of a complete blood red bandaged hand, the blood leaking down to his arm now. He needed to be healed. "I cannot hold her like this forever though, can I?" Lee continued. "What should I do? Can you no tell me, Sakura? Please?" Sakura gazed at him with compassion in her eyes, her mouth slightly open as if wanting to say something. What should she tell him. What?

She crawled over to where the face of the girl was pointed to, Lee following her every movement slowly with his eyes. They seemed empty for some reason. It scared Sakura endlessly. She carried on though. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "it's…difficult, when you…love…someone who doesn't seem to care about you at all." She sighed angrily. "I know how it feels, but I have never tried to kill anyone for it!" She angrily pushed some of her hair behind her ears. "Please, can't you just leave us alone? If we were to release you, couldn't you just…stop?" The girl's eyes turned to Sakura. They were filled with hatred and pain, Sakura was sure that she would've attacked her, if Lee didn't have a strong grasp on the girl.

"I can't ever forgive you." The girl spat. Sakura fell back a bit, not sure what to make of this. "F-Forgive me? For what?" the glaring eyes of the girl pierced deeply into Sakura's creating nervousness in her chest. "For stealing away his heart." Sakura sighed. Now what? "Do not say that." Lee suddenly growled. "Do not say that again! Do not dare to!" he huffed angrily. "My entire life, no one has ever loved me, and now that one truly does, you would take her away from me? Do you truly believe that I would turn to love you if you killed Sakura? At the contrary, I would hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands." His grip on her arm tightened a whole lot and the girl squealed slightly.

"So do not, I repeat do NOT say that again." Sakura slightly touched Lee's arm. "Er…I think you're really hurting her, Lee." She now grasped his arm a bit tighter, trying to pull her back. "It's alright, she got the point." Lee's hazed eyes penetrated hers for a second, finally sighing and releasing the girl, getting up, going to stand in front of Sakura, so when needed, he could still protect her. The girl shakily got to her feet and sent a dirty glare to Sakura. "Fine." She growled. "I understand." She rubbed her arm slightly, avoiding Lee's gaze. "I won't try it again." She didn't say anything else, simply exiting the room. Lee wanted to go after her, but Sakura grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him to the bed.

"Do you think it is okay to let her go?" Lee asked. Sakura sighed pushing him down taking his blooded hand in hers softly, unwrapping the bandages that were wound around it. She hissed slightly at the wound in Lee's hand, tossing the bandages on the floor. "I think she got it." Sakura said. "You made it perfectly clear that she can't have you by killing me." She lifted her hands, a glow emanating from them, healing Lee's flesh to the best of Sakura's abilities. Lee sighed. "Do not overdo yourself, Sakura." He said absentmindedly. Sakura blinked at the lack of tone in his voice, but continued anyways. "Er…alright."

She frowned slightly when she was done, over thinking her next action carefully. "Lee…" she started, trying to get his attention. "I love you, you know that, right?" Lee smiled at her. "I know, Sakura. Are you worried about something? Saying that." Sakura semi-glared at him. "About you, yes." Sakura said, tossing the bandages with the garbage. Lee sighed. "I am fine, Sakura, it is just… it was a scary situation for me." Sakura smiled and hugged Lee tightly. "It's alright now." Sakura said. She kissed him slightly. "Let's not think about it anymore, we still have a honeymoon to enjoy, remember?" Lee smiled, remembering everything that happened before the assault again. "Right." He said. "Which reminds me…" he playfully grinned. Sakura blinked. "What?" Lee got closer to her ear and whispered softly. "It's a secret." Sakura, severely creeped out by the mystery in his voice, grabbed the pillow next to her and threw it into Lee's face. Lee responded by poking the girl childishly in her side. Sakura giggled slightly, before poking him back and taking a few quick steps away from him.

They locked their gazes and stopped their fit of giggling, now only smiling. Sakura leaned onto the wall, looking at Lee as if observing him. "What?" Lee asked. "I love you." Sakura said, smiling. Lee sighed happily. "I love you too, Sakura." He responded. Haha, tonight would be fantastic! He would show Sakura the time of her life, just you wait.

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And there. Man, this chapter sucks. I apologize sincerely. But…it's too late to write another so I'll post this one. "sigh" please do review though…any ideas as to what could happen? Oh, and one more thing, the move Lee did, is an actual ninjutsu technique and works (I learned it yesterday from my own sensei.)


	53. Under the moonlight

Haha, it seems many of you were freaked out by last chapter's title, but don't fret. Lot's of things are still to happen, you know this! Okay, my reviewers…

RaeVenn: I'm glad you think so, but I can't say I'm proud of it. Thanks though.

Amber: Haha, don't worry, more chapters to come. I'll be sure to choose the titles better now.

Animelover5.6: Haha, don't worry, it doesn't end just yet. Okay, I'll update again for you.

The Rogue Stallion: alrighty then.

Bobalu: Kind of? She simply is! I'm glad you thought it was good.

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you Yeah well…Lee is Lee.

Magical kitty: Oh my god, now that would've been a twist! But no, no end yet. Thank you

The16thday: What is it with you and punching in the throat? Oh well…thank you

Panther eyes: She won't be coming back. And yeah, I guess I'll cut them some slack now.

**That's all of them! Yay. Now guys, the story has to end someday. Please don't freak out when it finally does, alright? Heheh, but for now…**

**On with it!**

_**Under the moonlight**_

"Candles? Check. Dinner?...Check. Flowers, check. Music, check. Song, check." Lee smiled brilliantly, staring at his achievements of the day. Everything was sure to go wonderfully. He would make his newly wed as happy as he could. After all, he knew very well that girls liked to be spoiled and pampered. And Sakura was no exception, as he so often noticed. He looked at the moon that was shining brightly in the night sky. Some very small and foggy clouds floated above him, but they had their own romantic and mysterious touch. It was amazing how many stars were shining this night. Lee had never seen so many.

He gazed for a few more seconds before deciding to go get Sakura. It was time she got the surprise. So he went back to the hotel, another girl standing there now, smiling brightly as he entered, not saying a word. Lee smiled at her and quickly went up the stairs. He flung open the door to his room and found it empty. "Sakura, where are you?" Lee shouted calmly. "In the bathroom." Sakura responded in a slightly muffled voice. "Is it time already?" Lee leaned against the door to the bathroom, turning his head a bit. "If you need more time, that is alright, but I did come to get you because everything is ready." He responded.

He heard the splashing of water, a few footsteps and then the draining of said water. "I won't be long." Sakura said. Lee chuckled as he heard some swift shifting of what seemed to be towels and clothing, a small yelp escaping Sakura's mouth childishly every now and then. He sat himself on the bed and let himself fall on his back after a few seconds. He yawned cutely as he felt the comfort of the bed caressing his body. He closed his eyes, wanting to let them rest. He sighed softly and before he had realized it, he drifted off into peaceful slumber.

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Sakura finally managed to put on the nasty dress that simply refused to cooperate with her. If she didn't look so damn good in it, she would've thrown it out a long time ago. She quickly dried her long, pink strands of hair, brushing out any knots that might be in it. She tied a low semi-ponytail, only binding half of her hair, the rest swaying softly against her back. A little bit of lipstick and more she didn't need. She didn't want to overdo it. She turned away from the mirror and opened the door, expecting to find Lee waiting patiently for her.

What she found though was Lee, sleeping. He was snoring very, very softly, mumbling certain words every now and then. She smiled and kept herself from giggling. She gently sat herself down next to Lee brushing her hand trough his hair. "Sakura…" he mumbled. Sakura sighed. She hated doing this, it made her feel like a bad person. After all, Lee looked so very cute. But he would be so sad if he slept trough the evening, so Sakura gently put her hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly.

When that didn't wake him, she poked him slightly, frowning when that only resulted in more mumbling. "Lee come on, wake up." Sakura said sternly. Lee simply smiled in his sleep. Great, just great. One more try. She pinched his nose closed, smirking when the boy found he was unable to breath, waking up to get rid of the problem. As soon as Lee's eyes fluttered open, Sakura retreated her hand. "You fell asleep." She explained, when Lee's confusion was directed at her.

It took a few seconds, but finally, it dawned on Lee. "Oh, right!" he said dramatically, jumping down from the bed, becoming his hyper self once more. "I am sorry, Sakura, I think I simply grew weary because of the bed. It is simply too good!" Sakura laughed. "That's alright Lee." She assured. "Barely any time has past." Lee shook his head, ridding himself from any apologies he still wanted to utter, knowing they were useless right now and grabbed Sakura's hand tenderly, intertwining their fingers.

"Either way, Sakura, are you ready to go now?" Sakura nodded, smiling. Lee smiled as well, letting his eyes trace the room as if searching for something. He finally grabbed what seemed to be a red scarf. "Close your eyes, Sakura." Lee asked cutely. Sakura closed her eyes and felt how Lee toed the scarf around them, it serving as a blindfold. He grabbed her hand again and slowly led her, pulling her trough the door, guiding her down the stairs and finally outside. Sakura felt how the wind grazed her face every now and then, and giggled slightly at the sensation. She was feeling a bit nervous, but the good kind of nervous. Also, she couldn't help but feel a tad curious.

She had no idea where Lee was guiding her too, but she was very sure that she could trust him, so she let him take her wherever he wanted to. And even though the ground was unstable and unsafe at times, Lee never failed to keep her standing and walking. Until finally, all of a sudden…he stopped. "We are here." Lee chirped happily. Sakura felt how the blindfold was removed and was kind of relieved when she finally was able to open her eyes again. To open her eyes only to gaze at the sight now displayed before her.

They were situated in the middle of a clearing, right in front of a small yet elegant round table, two chairs on opposite sides. Three large candles were burning freely on the table, and even in what seemed to be old lanterns, planted into the ground. And everywhere were flowers. Sakura was unable to count them all. There had to be more then 1000. Sakura trees were positioned all around the clearing, the last petals swaying in the breeze, loosening from the trees every now and then. It was wonderful. The moon shone brightly, emanating the entire evening. Sakura gazed all around her, Lee enjoying the look in her eyes. It was that look that made everything worth it.

He went to stand behind a chair and pulled it back, motioning for Sakura to sit down. She did, Lee shifting the seat back. Sakura waited for Lee to sit down as well but he didn't. He disappeared for a few seconds behind a rather large pile of roses, only to emerge with a guitar again. Sakura blinked. A guitar? What was he planning now? "Simply sit back and enjoy, Sakura." Lee said smiling at the look on her face. She simply was so adorable. He shifted his own seat backwards, sitting down with one leg vertically positioned on his other, to balance the guitar on it. Was he going to play? Sakura couldn't believe he actually would be able to. She had never, ever heard of Lee being a musician. And yet, Lee started playing, singing along sweetly with the slow tunes.

"_As I look in your eyes, I see the soul that they hide. The feelings of yore, today and tomorrow, you hide away like anger and sorrow. And still I can see, inside you are smiling, as I am too, for since we've been together, all I can think of is you. My heart still keeps pounding, every time I let my eyes behold your beauty, stocking my breath, again and again. Some may say it is a crush, but I am sure that it is true. My love for you is as real, as real as the stars above, and I know that you are my heart. As I hope I am yours_."

Lee finished with a few more tunes from his guitar, before putting it away again, blushing like mad. He was either nervous of what Sakura would say, or in love with the feet he was staring at right now. Sakura couldn't help but smile. Lee's voice was still as beautiful as it had been on their karaoke dinner. She giggled slightly, remembering it. "Lee, that was amazing." She commented truthfully. Lee's head carefully lifted itself to shyly look at Sakura. "You think so?" he asked. Sakura nodded. "Yup, I certainly do. Thank you!" Lee smiled. "I wrote it myself." He said proudly.

Sakura giggled. "I didn't know you were able to play the guitar." She said. Lee shrugged. "It is not something that matters, is it now? It is not really a ninja quality." Sakura smiled. "It's a good one though." Lee grinned. "Thank you, Sakura. I am glad that you think so." He once more got up to carefully light one of the lanterns again. It had been blown out by the wind. "Would you like your dinner yet?" Lee asked. Sakura nodded almost immediately. Truth be told, she was famished. Lee smiled. "Alright." He said. He grabbed two plates that had been waiting on another table, hidden from sight, placing one of them in front of Sakura. "Have a nice meal, Sakura." Lee said. Sakura immediately dug in, Lee doing the exact same. Yes, this evening was simply perfect. A beautiful girl, a lovely meal and a great night. It had to be a sign. A sign for good times.

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Well, I'm gonna cut here. Great, great. Now, please review and tell me what you think and remember, if you have any ideas, please do tell me (it might make the story longer)


	54. Changes

Alright, let's continue this! I'll make sure to get the spunk back last two chapters lost damnit! But first my reviewers…

Bobalu: me neither, I simply wanted him to play an instrument.

ByakuganNeji0908: Thanks. Glad you like it. Well…enjoy Naruto!

Animelover5.6: I think so too, best fluff ever! Glad you liked the song. And here's the update.

Sakurafan207: Something different? Hmm…sure, like what? I'm glad you still like it.

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you. And here you go!

Panther eyes: No problem Ah, don't we all hope so.

Magical kitty: Haha, don't fight Sakura on this.

Demonchild93: Haha, I'd watch it too! Thank you for the compliment! Hero? to the rescue!

Vesper chan: Really? Wow, aren't you tired?! I'm flattered though. Haha, their sex is a mystery to everyone. "grin"

**And that would be all of them. Now, I'm going to do my best and make another good chapter to please you all! Cha!**

**On with it. **

_**Changes**_

The honeymoon continued for several more weeks, filled with laughter, romance and sweetness. Both Lee and Sakura had discovered once more just how much, and why they loved each other, strengthening their feelings tenfold. But now, it was time to return, especially since – if they waited too long – Sakura would not be able to travel very far anymore. After all, carrying twins simply didn't seem to be very easy. And Sakura simply refused to be carried everywhere by Lee.

And that is how they finally returned. Lee sent their luggage back to Konoha on special delivery. Sakura never found out exactly how, but what did it matter? They had put on comfortable clothing, planning to get back to Konoha as soon as they could manage to. After all, they both kind of did miss their friends. Lee had not wanted to do this at first, but Sakura had put her foot down, threatening she would leave without Lee if she had to. Lee knew he could easily have stopped her, but that would anger his blossom, especially now. She was starting to show mood swings every now and then. Serious ones!

So they went back as the ninja's they were, jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree, back to the fire country. Lee didn't think he'd ever been more alert then at this moment. He noticed every squirrel that passed by, every leaf that fell from the tree, every shadow that seemed to be even a little bit out of order. After all, he needed to make sure his cherry blossom was alright. But nothing really happened, and finally, after what seemed to be forever, they reached the gates of Konoha. Sakura was slightly out of breath, but Lee decided not to make a point of it.

They stepped trough the gates, Lee nodding friendly at the guard on duty, his dog sniffling him a bit, not signing any trouble. The guard greeted him by putting on his hand, smiling at Sakura. She was getting fairly round now. And she seemed to be in very good health too.

Sakura wondered how much had changed while they were gone. After all, you could never be too sure in a ninja village. "Lee, can we go the ramen stand?" she asked. Not only was she hungry, but she also wanted to check on her friends. And knowing Naruto, he had to be there, if he wasn't training. "If that is what you want." Lee agreed with a smile. He stroked her long hair softly and they started to walk to the ramen stand they had grown so familiar with. And when they finally got there, they saw that it was still standing. Not that they had expected otherwise but…you never knew.

They entered the shop, immediately finding Naruto there…but he wasn't alone. Next to him was Hinata and they were holding hands Hinata blushing slightly. As soon as they had entered, Naruto turned around, immediately grinning - not minding the long strands of ramen between his teeth as he did – when he saw Lee and Sakura. "You're back!" he yelled enthusiastically. Sakura smiled. "Yup, hi Naruto." She greeted as if she had still seen him yesterday. "Hello Naruto-kun." Lee said, bowing slightly. Sakura looked at Hinata, who still appeared to be rather shy.

"Say…er… Hinata…" she started slowly, watching how Naruto's hand swayed hers softly. "Are you two a thing now?" Lee smacked his hand in his face almost as if to hide for Sakura's subtle approach. Sakura ignored him, now more focused on the stuttering and blushing Hinata. "W-Well, t-that is, t-that, w-well…" "Yup!" Naruto interrupted her. "We are!" Sakura giggled. It really did seem that opposites attracted. The loud and cheerful Naruto simply had to be destined for the shy and timid Hinata.

"That is wonderful!" Lee exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "I have been waiting for this to happen!" Naruto blinked. "Why?" Lee slightly frowned at him. Hinata had been in love with the boy for ages now, so he wanted her to be with him so she could be happy, but seeing how he wasn't sure that the bashful girl had told the fox herself yet, he thought it was best not to continue his stupid rambling. Sakura took a seat next to Naruto with more then a little bit of difficulty. "You sure are getting heavy, Sakura." Naruto commented idiotically, turning back to his ramen, never having seen the incoming danger.

Sakura let her fist connect to his jaw harshly, his head colliding with the counter, missing his bowl just barely. "Sakura, what was that for?" Naruto yelled, lifting his head again. Lee simply took a seat next to Sakura, wanting to stay out of this. Truth be told, he had nearly punched Naruto himself after insulting his flower, but he thought the boy was punished enough. And after all, he_ was_ right. "I can't help it that I get a bit rounder, Naruto!" Sakura nearly screamed. "I _am_ carrying two babies inside of me!" Naruto blushed and turned back to his ramen. Man, she was sensitive today. Nonetheless, he was glad that she had returned.

"A bowl of ramen with many extra eggs, please." Sakura ordered. Lee didn't even blink. That was still eatable, not healthy, but eatable. Sakura had requested the weirdest kinds of food lately. Lee had the hardest trouble of finding whatever Sakura asked for all the time. But being Lee, he had always pushed onwards to find whatever his cherry blossom craved for, never giving up. And so, Sakura was kept satisfied. So a few more eggs was quite acceptable at this point. Naruto and Hinata both decided simply not to ask any questions. Lee ordered himself a plain bowl of ramen.

"Sakura, do you think we could go and see if we can find Gai-sensei after this?" Lee asked. Sakura blinked, swallowing her ramen. "Lee, since when do you think you should ask me permission for something like that?" the hurt in her voice was more then obvious. Did Lee think of her as bossy or something? Lucky for him, Lee was not quite oblivious to Sakura's weird mood swings and overacting senses, knowing exactly what to do. "Sakura, it is simply that I am worried about you, and I do not want you to do anything if you do not feel up to it."

A smile was granted him. Success. "It's fine, Lee. He should be much better by now, don't you think?" Lee nodded excited, he averted his gaze to Naruto. "Is he?" he asked. "better I mean." Naruto seemed to think it over. "I don't know." He said. Hinata sighed. "H-He is b-better Lee, don't worry." She responded. Naruto was completely oblivious to anything happening around him, and Hinata knew this. "Wonderful!" Lee exclaimed happily, digging trough the rest of his ramen. Sakura managed to still finish her own bowl of ramen before Lee though. Lee blinked at this, looking at a rather pleased Sakura. "Do you have enough?" Lee asked carefully.

Sakura smiled. "Yup, I'm ready to go again." She responded. Lee smiled. "good!" he finally finished his own dinner. He paid the check, they bid their farewells to Naruto and Sakura and went on their way again. "…don't care Neji, you have to apologize to Gai-sensei!" a furious voice was suddenly heard. Sakura and Lee looked over to the source of the sound to find Tenten arguing with Neji. "I don't." Neji simply growled. Lee sighed in exasperation. "Come on Neji, you're both way too stubborn!" she continued. Neji turned away from her mockingly, his eye landing on Lee and Sakura. A small smile tugged on his lips.

"Look who have returned Tenten." He said, seeing this as a wonderful decoy. Tenten glanced at Lee and Sakura, knocked Neji on the back of his head, hissing "this isn't over yet" and ran over to Lee and Sakura. Sakura felt like running away for a few seconds, until she saw the bright smile on Tenten. "Lee! Sakura! You've come back!" she screeched. Sakura was surprised as she was pulled in a quick hug, Tenten flinging herself onto Lee afterwards. Well, she seemed happy to see them. "So, how was the honeymoon?" she asked. "You've been gone for so long!" Lee glanced at Sakura and blushed.

"It has been very good Tenten." He answered. "Er… would you mind telling me what you were arguing about with Neji?" Neji, who had joined the group now himself, glared at Lee. There went his decoy. Well, at least the anxious, nervous Neji was gone again. "This jerk dared telling Gai that he had to give up on beating Kakashi, that he'd never win." Tenten roared. Neji rolled his eyes. "Well… only because it's…" "Neji, how dare you!" Lee yelled in shock and horror. "You cannot tell Gai-sensei to give up! He must be so mad at you!" Tenten nodded. "Exactly. Gai doesn't even want to train him anymore." Neji hmphed. "I'm a jounin, he and I are equals. I don't need his training." Tenten put her hands on her hips.

"Neji, you know as well as I do that you still like his training sessions he occasionally gives. He is still slightly more skilled then you are after all." Neji sighed. "Tenten, just let it go." Sakura felt like a fifth wheel. She wasn't part of this team. She wasn't sure what to say because she was sure that she would say something wrong. "Neji, you must apologize." Lee tried again, a bit softer this time. "I think you light have really hurt Gai-sensei by saying that." Neji frowned at Lee's expression. It had simply been a stupid argument.

"Neji, if you don't apologize, I'll break up with you!" Tenten said. Neji opened his mouth to say something but tenten's glare told him she was serious. He sighed heavily and slouched away. "Fine." He growled. "Wait, Neji! Can I come with you?" Lee asked, assuming he'd go to Gai immediately. Neji shrugged. "Whatever." He said. Lee turned to Sakura. "Are you coming?" he asked. Sakura smiled. "I think I will be heading home for now, alright?" she asked. She'd really rather not experience the Lee/Gai-moments right now. "Alright Sakura, should I walk you home first then?" Lee asked. Sakura smiled, shaking her head at his kindness. "I'll be alright Lee." She responded turning around, and starting to walk on.

She didn't have anymore encounters with any familiar faces anymore. She liked the thought of being able to return to the trusted house she and Lee now shared. It held so many good memories too. She turned around a corner, and met a gruesome sight. One so bad, it brought her to her knees. She couldn't stop staring at the sight before her, wanting to think it was all a dream, and nothing more. But it wasn't. The truth was, right there, in front of her, the house that was supposed to be her home right now…laid in heaps, crumbled walls making it seem as if it had fallen down years ago, the windows scattered, the roof gone, the rooms collided. All possessions were gone and destroyed. Perhaps it could've been a storm, a simple storm, and nothing more, if it wasn't for the eerie writing on the last wall still somewhat standing.

_I will see you soon, Sakura_

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Well, well, it seems the problems are far from over eh? Well, don't worry, they have to end someday…right? If not, I'll keep writing, heheh. Please review. Oh, one more question…am I loosing you guys? It seems fewer and fewer people tend to read this…


	55. Difficult need

Wow, I've got a lot of reassuring reviews last chapter. I thank you all I'm very happy because of you. I think I'll reply my reviewers first…as always.

Gothic Saku-chan: well thanks. I can't very well always write only about Sakura and Lee, now can I? "grin" glad you liked it.

Vesper chan: It could mean just that, but it could mean something else "grin" only I know. It was? Mine was…er…when Lee wanted to keep Sakura from killing herself by threatening to do the same. But that's just me Thank you, I like updating.

Bobalu: Who was it indeed? "grin" Thanks, I'm glad you're sticking with me.

xoSweetEscape: Yeah, but it's just that I notice this story getting fewer and fewer hits. But thank you for your words, I'm very glad Well, onwards with the cliffie then…

Raven's soul sister: Ha, thanks. Okay, I'll believe you

RaeVenn: Haha, thanks. Yeah, new twist and cliffie, or whatever. Heheh.

Magical Kitty: Haha, well I know how to solve it so don't fret. Alright then, onwards!

KankurosBandGeek2010: Aw, you saw it coming? No problem though, I'll bet you'll be surprised when I tell you all…

Animelover5.6: Haha, you think so. Heheh. Yup, another stalker huh? Don't worry, I like people going overboard. Funny? Well…thanks.

The Rogue Stallion: I hope you do. I have something great in mind.

Panther eyes: Good question… I'll say yes… when no one could see him.

The16thday: "blink" er…dangerous. Well, it's just that I like those pairings too!

**Okay, that's all of them. Lots of them, don't you think? 12! I love it. Anyways…**

**On with it!!! **

_**Difficult need**_

Sakura stood there, grazing the writing directed to her with her hand, very slowly. She could see it, she could feel it, hell, she could even smell it. This was blood. She stood there, staring at the wall and past it, wondering, no, hoping that this was all an illusion. She felt her stomach turn in anxiety, her heart stopping. Once more, she could only hope this happened in her mind. Her knees were trembling and her shoulders were shaking. What did she have to do now? What was there that she _could_ do?

She took a few more steps. She walked past the rubble and kneeled in the dust, picking up a picture behind the scattered glass of a broken flame. The picture itself was torn, but Sakura still remembered when she had first seen it. It was the picture of Lee when he was younger, his hair kind of edgy, his eyes large and excited, wearing a white shirt, presenting the nice guy pose. Sakura didn't smile though. Everything was ruined, nothing left standing. Why would someone do this? Why? A shiver ran down Sakura's spine.

It wasn't a shiver announcing being cold or nervous, it was a shiver of pure terror, overcoming the girl. Sheer horror and fear. And what was worse was the inability to sense what was going to happen. But what had to be the worst part of it all was, when she finally found her home, it had gotten destroyed. She felt so helpless and so scared, she couldn't figure out what to do besides standing there. She wasn't sure that she would be able to move one more step, even if she had wanted to.

The wind blowing trough the leaves, the movement of a simple fly scared her so baldy, yet she did not move. She tried to think rational. Alright, if the person who left this was planning on doing whatever he wants to do right now, he wouldn't have left a message, he would've waited for her himself. That seemed logical enough. Which meant the person was waiting for a certain event to occur, before making his strike. But once more, she wasn't sure what event. She wasn't even sure if her theory could be correct. She was scared, really scared.

Had no one seen this? Had no one noticed? When had this all happened? She felt how tears fell from her eyes. Despair. True despair was what she felt right now. Where was Lee? She needed him more then ever right now.

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"It's alright Neji." Gai said. "It's your youth that allows you to say hurtful things every now and then, and your youth that allows you to be forgiven." Neji wanted so badly to say something to that, like how he was almost 18, but he decided to keep his mouth shut at this point, seeing how that would be the wisest thing to do right now. Gai's massive hand landed on his head, sort of patting him. Neji growled in silence, closing his eyes in annoyance.

Lee was pleased with Neji's apology. It seemed Tenten had a very good influence on the jounin. He was also pleased to find his sensei in very good health. The older jounin nearly wore no more bandages. He had a few on his right arm, but that was about it. He could even move that arm, and it was nearly recovered completely. Lee was truly pleased with that, but on the other hand… he had to admit, that he kind of feared for his sensei. This development meant the almost sure arrival of the Akatsuki. He sighed, this being noticed by Gai.

"What's wrong, my number one student?" Gai asked. Lee smiled, listening to the name Gai still saved for him, even though Neji was the one already a jounin. "It is… nothing Gai-sensei." Lee lied. What he most certainly didn't want right now was for Gai to be worried about him. Too bad for Lee, Gai was pretty sharp. "Lee, you know, I know you better then that. Come on, spill it." Neji simply pretended he wasn't listening to the conversation, but both green beasts knew_ him_ better then that as well.

"Well Gai-sensei, it is just that I… fear for you." Lee admitted. Neji cracked his eyes open just a little bit, staring at the floor a few metres in front of him. Gai put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Lee. Ken has never been able to beat me before, and he won't beat me now." Lee frowned. "Then the other Akatsuki-members will attack you as well." He added, knowing the group had no sense of honesty. "Don't you think Gai will be protected, Lee?" Neji asked all of a sudden.

Lee blinked. "Protected?" he looked at Gai who seemed to be grumpy all of a sudden. "I'm to be protected and watched over by several jounin over the next few days and nights. If anything happens, they'll jump in." he said. "I'm one of them." Neji said. He shuddered. "You don't know how difficult it is watching over someone who runs a marathon every morning." Lee smiled. At least he now could trust that Gai was in good hands. He sipped from his drink, leaning into the couch.

"So, how is Sakura?" Gai asked. Lee smiled. "She is fine, she just wanted to go home now." Gai choked on his drink and Neji buried his face into his right hand, as if slapping himself for being stupid. "Er…is it something I said?" Lee asked a bit shaken. Gai recovered from his coughing and Neji penetrated Lee's eyes with his own. "I forgot about that…" Neji said. "Me too." Gai grumbled. Lee was getting irritated by now. "What?" he asked as calm as he could. "Lee, your house is no longer there." Neji said.

Lee blinked, not sure what to say to that. "It's been destroyed." Gai said. "And we have no idea by who." Lee got up from his seat. "Destroyed?!" the house was everything he and, all his possessions were in there as well. What was she to do now? He was a simple chuunin, not nearly earning enough money to buy another house. "And there's one more thing…" Neji continued. He glanced at Gai as if for approval, then looked back at Lee. "There's this writing on a wall, for Sakura." The look in Neji's eyes told Lee enough. "I am afraid that I must leave now." Lee said with trembling voice. And he left.

Lee ran as fast as he could. This was not happening. His house was gone, his wife was in danger and…his children at that. He ran as fast as he could, knowing nothing would be happening right now, but simply wanting to reach his wife as fast as he could. And he wanted to know what the writing said. How would Sakura have reacted, and why hadn't she gone to look for him after seeing whatever would be left of his house. It had been a while since she went there.

It didn't take Lee long to reach the remnants of his house, and he stopped a few metres in front of what once was a door. At first, he didn't see any sign of Sakura, but then he saw her sitting between the rubble, lifelessly, staring at what seemed to be a picture, tears running down her cheeks every now and then. She seemed to be in shock. Lee gulped at the ruins he saw before him. He looked at the writing, frowning. Was life never going to leave them alone, or what? He began to breath a little bit more heavily when he noticed the writing was done in blood. He looked away and back to Sakura who hadn't moved an inch.

He was very careful in approaching her. He wasn't sure how she would react if he got too close to her right now. She seemed pretty shaken up. She didn't even notice him advance. He decided to try and call out to her. "Sakura?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Sakura, please speak to me." He tried again. Sakura's body twitched a bit but he got no other response. He sighed and sat down next to her in the rubble. He slowly reached out to Sakura's hand, then grabbed it in his own, the teared up picture slowly falling to the ground again.

And finally, Sakura's eyes met his. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Lee blinked. "Sorry?" he asked in an equal whisper. "What are you sorry for?" Sakura looked at the hand holding his and sighed. "It seems that ever since we're together, bad stuff keeps happening. I bring bad luck to you." Lee gasped slightly, not at all believing what he was hearing. "Sakura." He started sternly. "Do not say that again. Truly, ever since I have been with you, I have been happier then I have ever been in my entire life."

He squeezed her hand a bit. "No matter what happens, it cannot ruin the happiness I feel when being with you." He pulled Sakura closer to him, her leaning in on his shoulder. "You do not bring bad luck. It is not you who did this, it is…someone else." He wished he knew who it was. "But if it wasn't for me, your house would still be standing." Lee looked sadly at the remains of his once loyal house, but then smiled at Sakura. "You are my life Sakura, and it is with you I feel at home. It is of no importance."

Sakura sighed. She really didn't want to do what she was about to do. But it was for the best. She had to repay Lee and even though the next gesture would never repay him fully for everything he had done for her, it was a pretty good start. And she would grow accustomed to the new arrangements eventually herself. "Lee, I have a solution for this problem." Sakura said, no feelings notable in her voice. "Hm? And what would that be, Sakura?" Lee asked. Any solution would be good right now. He himself had no idea of where to go.

"We can go live in my parents' house, since it isn't occupied and lawfully mine now."

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And stop. Finally this is finished. Do you guys have any idea how hard it is to write a drama ficcie while listening to humorous songs? I've been listening to shadenfreude from Avenue Q. I love Avenue Q! Well anyways, please review and tell me what you think.


	56. Memories

Wow, I'm glad I started this chapter yesterday because I have to go baby-sit in less then an hour! Okay…reviewers!

Gothic Saku-chan: You could? I wonder who you have in mind. "grin"

Animelover5.6: A problem…oh well, I can cope. I'm glad you liked this chapter, very glad. Well, you'll find out soon enough…I hope.

xoSweetEscape: Forgot about whom? Well… I haven't even thought off that, but…well maybe someday. We'll see.

Bobalu: Haha, you're that anxious to know? Well, you'll find out, don't worry.

KankurosBandGeek2010: yup, and it's gonna get longer. Glad you still like it nonetheless.

Vesper Chan: Of course not, that'd get boring! You're… really flattering me way too much. I may update every day but the chapters are short and I take a long time writing them… also, I simply ask for ideas many times, you know? Well, I'm happy you're thinking over who it could be so much

Panther eyes: Good question. I will not provide the answer just yet though.

Troublesome writer: Hey, I was wondering where you went! Hello well, well, the suspense eh? Genius? I'm not sure about that, I was out of ideas so I thought, hey, let's blow up Lee's house! (Not true) Haha, working together? I guess you really do never know.

Magical kitty: you do? I wonder if you're right.

**And that's it! Good of you all to review. I just got a phone call, telling me I've got an extra hour to prepare, so I can relax and write not so very rushed now. It might still be shorter then usual though.**

**On with it!**

_**Memories**_

"S-Sakura…" Lee stuttered. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. He wasn't sure if the girl had gotten over the tragedy with her parents completely yet, and even though that house was perfect and it was a brilliant idea, he didn't want to do anything that would sadden the blossom of his life. "I'm sure Lee, don't worry." Sakura said. She gathered the picture from the ground again and showed it to Lee. "Look how cute you were." She said smiling, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Lee looked at the picture. He remembered the moment they had taken it, still very good. Gai-sensei had finally enthralled him completely, and his first attempt to be like his roll model was doing the nice guy pose while his female team-mate took a picture of him. It wasn't visible in the picture but Lee still remembered that in the background, Gai was lecturing Neji about youthfulness and how he shouldn't throw rocks at Lee simply because the boy had scared him by starting to talk like Gai-sensei. The rocks had proven that he wasn't an illusion though. Lee absentmindedly rubbed his arm where he knew one of the rocks had hit him. He smiled. Neji was still so… different back then. As was he.

He sighed and handed the picture back to Sakura. "If you wish to keep it, you can hold on to it" he said, smiling. Sakura grinned. "Thank you Lee." Lee helped Sakura up from the ground and they both slapped away the dust on their clothing. Lee looked around. "Is there anything else we could still manage to save?" Lee asked, a bit sad at the destruction. Sakura, who wanted nothing but cheer Lee up right now, started searching trough the rubble, knocking stuff aside. Lee did the same, keeping his eye on Sakura, making sure she didn't hurt herself on anything. And finally, one of the two found something.

Sakura carefully pushed away what seemed to be the remains of a closet, to reveal a slightly crumpled sketch paper. She picked it up with trembling hands, looking at the drawing on the paper. And she smiled. On the paper was her, her hair swaying in the wind, wings attached to her back. Cherry blossom petals were swirling around her and the trees producing them seemed to be moving, as was the Sakura in the picture. She slowly turned her head to look at Lee who was mumbling to himself while throwing away an already cracked mug. When the boy noticed Sakura had stopped looking, he turned to meet her gaze.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?" he asked the girl. She simply shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Lee." She replied. "but…could you tell me, if you drew this?" She held up the piece of paper for Lee to see. The boy immediately blushed and looked away. "Yes, I did." He admitted as if he did something wrong. "It's beautiful!" Sakura sighed in amazement. Lee smiled at her. "I am glad you can appreciate it, Sakura." He smiled. "You are able to appreciate the little things in life, I admire that in you." Sakura gaped at him. What did he just say? And he himself? He loved the surrounding world more then anyone else. She smiled at the compliment she saw more fit for her husband but decided not to argue on this. "I'll keep this too, if that's alright." Sakura said. Lee nodded. "I am honoured that you would want to have it." He said.

Sakura carefully placed it with her picture and kept on searching. Truth was, they didn't find many valuable things anymore. Lucky for them, most of their clothes, they had taken with them on the honeymoon, but Sakura couldn't help but notice how Lee had not taken his green jumpsuit with him. So she decided to keep searching for the items the boy loved so much. After a few more minutes, Lee let out a cry of triumph. Sakura blinked as he held out a little treasure chest in the air. "My savings have been spared." Lee said happily. Sakura giggled. He could still be so unusually happy at times. It was part of why she loved him in the first place.

Sakura finally found a bundle of green jumpsuits, and luckily, at least two had been spared. Sakura also took the few jumpsuits that she would be able to mend. The orange legwarmers were not too far away, and she hastily took them on her arm as well. Lee had not noticed yet. She kept on searching and finally found the leg weights. She tried moving them, forgetting for a split second just how heavy they were, and gave up after a few seconds. "Er…Lee!" she yelled, counting on Lee to hear her. Lee turned to her and smiled brightly. "You have found my favourite clothing!" he yelled out in glee. Sakura giggled. "Yeah, but I can't seem to lift your leg weights" She said a bit ashamed. Lee immediately jumped over to where Sakura was and pulled them out of the rubble himself. "Thank you so much, Sakura." He said in gratitude.

Sakura got up and wiped the dirt from her clothes once more. "I don't think there's much more to find, Lee." She said, finding how everything else she had met was completely ruined. Lee nodded sadly. "I am afraid so, Sakura." He responded softly, his hand running trough his hair. Sakura kept staring at the disaster around her but truly, she knew that nothing else could be saved. Every other thing was dead. She sighed. "What a shame." She stated out loud, not fully realizing this herself. "We've had some pretty good times here." Lee sighed and started pulling her away from the chaotic place that now held nothing but darkness. "At least we will still have the memories." He said.

Sakura nodded. He was right, as always. Lee always seemed to know exactly what he should say to her, to simply make her happy again. Well, they were off now, off to their new…home. Lee wiped a bit of dirt away from Sakura's face, receiving a smile for the effort. The entire way to Sakura's home, they were silent. But the silence was a comforting one. One that was no empty hole that needed to be filled with words. No. It was one that held great value and was there simply for those seeking comfort. Those seeking would find it in that silence. Sakura grasped Lee's hand and noticed that it held a little cut. He had probably received it while searching trough the rubble.

Smiling, and while doing her best for Lee not to notice, she channelled her chakra ever so subtly and healed the tiny cut. It's not like it held much value, and she was sure the cut didn't hurt that much…but…any discomfort, even of the smallest type, she would do her best to heal. She looked at the outfit Lee had been wearing. It was dirty. Extremely dirty actually. She inspected herself and saw that her clothing was in the same shape. She sighed. They had done their best to find what they could save, but eventually, very few was left whole. And again, she couldn't help but wonder who in the world would create such chaos. And why?

They finally reached the house they had been walking up to. Granted, it was much larger then Lee's was. And yes, it had more room and was probably much more suitable for children, but the house seemed really dark to her right now. She released Lee's hand and walked over to the doormat. She lifted up to reveal a small, gold coloured key. She took it and put it in the lock, twisting it just a bit, opening the door. She walked in, looking around. It seemed not much had changed since she last left. Only a few more coats of dust could be seen now. She looked over her shoulder to smile at an uncertain Lee. "Are you coming?" she asked.

Lee smiled and walked in with her, into the house that held forbidden memories. But no worries. Lee would help create new memories. Happy ones. And she would make sure those unwanted memories would be disposed off. To build a happy life together, this was a marvellous first step. And they would continue it for many more years, they would. Lee was sure of that. And he closed the door.

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No people, please do not be mistaken. This is not the ending, far from it. Just so you know for sure eh? Well, I liked this chapter myself, shorter but you know the reason. I bid you all goodnight "grin" and please do review.


	57. Continuation

Hmm… 6 reviews… did something happen? "shrugs" oh well… the response…

Gothic Saku-chan: Well yeah, Lee would never be able to do without those!

Vesper chan: I wonder myself. "grin" I hope they come soon, because I have many ideas concerning the children. Babysitting went great, by the way

Magical kitty: Yay, I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, his jumpsuits are essential, right?

Animelover5.6: Yeah, I'm doing my best. But today is a hysterical day so I'll rush my way trough it. Ah, so many stuff to do! Well, perhaps you're right, perhaps you're not, it could very well be Naruto himself (now wouldn't that be a twist?)

Bobalu: Haha, I always keep the clues with me as long as I can. Yay, jumpsuits!

Panther eyes: Of course it won't…it'd not be special anymore. Yeah, Lee simply is cute that way.

**Okay alright…must hurry…must fly, this story must be continued today, and if not, I will run 500 laps around my room! (heh)**

**On with it!**

_**Continuation **_

Sakura had turned on the light and was now facing what laid on the ground there. The crumbled piece of paper that had changed her life forever. Lee saw the look in her eyes and immediately grasped the object causing her reaction, to simply throw it away trough the window he had just opened, rather far away. "Sakura, please do not think about these things anymore. They sadden you." Sakura smiled. "It's alright Lee, I'm fine now." Lee sighed. He felt like he could trust her saying this, he really did. So why did he feel so uneasy.

Sakura opened what windows were left in the room and let the wind enter. She took Lee's jumpsuits and put them in the closet. "Now we're officially moved in." she joked. Lee chuckled. "I suppose you are right." He responded. Sakura walked into what seemed to be the kitchen, Lee taking in the room. It was really dusty,, but that could only be expected. The last time Sakura had been here they had simply been betrothed, and Sakura had even sunk into a depression so deep, she sought to kill herself. He still praised the gods for being able to arrive on time that day.

Sakura emerged from the kitchen once more with a cloth in her hand. It seemed to be wet. She hummed a little and started dusting the table that was in the room. Lee gasped and hurried over to his cherry blossom. He softly took the cloth away from Sakura. "Sakura, please do not do this." He said. "Allow me." Sakura frowned. "Lee, I'm really able to dust the table." Lee sighed. Right, stubborn. "Sakura, I will not back down on this matter." He said sternly. "I want you to get all the rest that you can get, and I will not allow you to stress and fuss about anything." He pushed Sakura over to the couch and made her sit in it.

Sakura sighed worse then Lee had. "Fine, Lee. Fine." She said. "I won't argue with you then. But I'm not going to sit still all day, do I make myself clear?" Lee nodded smiling. For now, that arrangement was good enough. He continued dusting the table and did the entire room after that was done. Sakura all the while was snuggled up in the couch, her eyes drooping slightly. She forced herself to stay awake though. She loved the sight of Lee's long fingers, elegantly cleaning what was to clean in the room. He seemed to do it with such precision and such care, almost as if it was the training he so loved.

"Enjoying yourself?" Sakura yawned. Lee looked away from what he was doing and blinked at Sakura. "What do you mean?" he asked. Sakura giggled. "You seem really fixated on simply dusting, Lee." Sakura pointed out. Lee blushed a little. "I am always dedicated to do everything I do the best I can." He said. "That way, I perfect simple movements and gain concentration." He smiled. "You know Sakura, simply writing and drawing a lot gives you magnificent coordination in your fingers."

Sakura laughed. She had only been kidding when asking that silly question, but Lee seemed to give an honest and serious response to everything she asked. He was so cute! "How nice, Lee." She yawned again. She really was getting tired. What was wrong with her? Lee blinked. "Are you feeling alright, my angel?" he asked worriedly. Sakura waved a bit with her hand as if to dispose of the question. "I'm fine Lee, just sleepy." She stated. Lee lifted the cloth from the last speck of dirt he had found and sat down next to Sakura, the cloth carelessly thrown onto the ground, to get rid of later.

He wiped the hair out of Sakura's tired eyes and gazed at her lovingly. A blush crept up into Sakura's face. "What?" she asked, trying to get the eyes away from her. They were kind of embarrassing her. She knew she looked like crap. "You are beautiful." Lee commented. "Truly, you simply shine, I mean this." He kissed Sakura slightly, softly, Sakura almost falling asleep because of the tender and caring action. She was shaken awake roughly though when all of a sudden, a bang could be heard, both Lee and Sakura jolting upright. They both ran towards the same window, looking out to see a huge cloud of black smoke rising towards the sky. The fact that they could find and see it so quickly meant that it wasn't too far away.

Both Lee and Sakura darted across the room, towards the door before Lee stopped Sakura. "You stay here." He ordered. Sakura glared at him. "There's no way!" Sakura responded. Lee groaned in agitation. "Why not Sakura, why not?!" Sakura smiled at him, ready to send some wisdom back to the boy. "Because a single person could mean the victory between victory and defeat." She sighed. "Or in our case probably life and death." Lee ran a hand trough his hair, getting impatient. People could be needing him right now. "Sakura, you are not one, but three people." He responded, reminding the kunoichi if the priceless treasure she carried.

"I'm not worried Lee." Sakura said. "I know you'll protect me." Lee stopped his nervous movements for a few seconds to look Sakura in the eye with a look Sakura could not quite describe. "Promise me…" Lee stated very seriously now. "Promise me that you will choose life above valour. Promise me that you will run if you feel like you cannot take much more. Promise me…simply promise me not to be harmed." Sakura sighed. There was only one way to make a promise Lee would understand to be truthfully. She was mentally slapping herself for what she was about to do, but it would be the first as well as the last time.

She did the nice guy pose. "Lee, I promise you all of that, alright? I promise!" Lee gaped at her. But there wasn't much time to break into a speech about youthfulness right now. They had to hurry, be faster then lightning, if they were still going to make it in time. Whatever was going on, Lee kind of had an idea of what was happening right now. He was still worried about Sakura. Very worried in fact, but what could he do? Sakura was a strong individual and a kunoichi worth her name. He simply felt worry because he loved her. But the fact that Sakura was as powerful as she was, did sooth him.

They finally arrived at the place that had contained the explosion from a few minutes ago to find a strange sight to behold. Indeed it had been as Lee had suspected. They were finally here. The Akatsuki. And as could be expected, Gai was standing in the centre of the attention, together with Ken. Surrounding them were people from all over the village and the remaining Akatsuki members, apparently ready to attack anyone that dared to interfere. They were widely avoided though. Deidara on the other hand, was discussing with Kisame.

"Explosions attract other people Deidara, when will you realize this?" Deidara shrugged. "We can't have people interfering now, can we? I was simply doing my duty." Kisame seemed to be ready to slash his head off but refrained from doing so. As soon as Sakura and Lee arrived at the scene, both Deidara and Kisame turned their heads to look at them. Deidara disappeared in a flash and reappeared right in front of them. "Ah, look who we have here." He commented on seeing the two chuunin again. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked. Lee growled and placed himself a tiny bit in front of Sakura. He really didn't trust this guy.

"I ma here to aid my sensei." Lee spoke loudly. Gai and Ken didn't seem to have moved one inch since they arrived. What were they waiting for? Deidara laughed. "Boy, do you have any idea how many people came here with that purpose?" he pointed to the rooftops, ninja on top of them everywhere. "Now they understand they shouldn't interfere. Only one decided to make a huge mistake." He now pointed to a single rooftop, a rather painfully known jounin on top of it. It was Neji, grasping his side in pain, blood oozing trough his fingers. "He tried to attack us, the foolish boy." Deidara shrugged. "I guess he simply never heard of the Akatsuki before."

Deidara looked up to what seemed to be the sun. Lee was staring at Neji who seemed to be struggling greatly. What should he do now? "It's time." Deidara softly said, still standing there. He turned his head to look at Sakura. "Care to join me in watching this fight pretty one?" he asked slyly. Lee seemed to be ready to punch him to a bloody pulp but Sakura held his arm to hold him back. "Don't provoke him." She whispered. "No thank you." She answered Deidara. Said Akatsuki simply shrugged. "Have it your way." He said and took a few steps towards the two brothers, awaiting the very first strike.

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Clear! I'm so happy I made it. Now to quickly post it, very, very quickly. Oh and please, PLEASE review. That's all we authors ask for you know?


	58. False swipe

Yay! Reviews skyrocketed once more! Let's answer you all now.

NinjaMuffins: Oh come on girl, I hate him! Lee is my favourite. No problem, I like to review. Hahaha, thank you. Youthful indeed. I'm glad you like the story! It's my favourite couple too.

Animelover5.6: "blink" where'd you get that idea from? Haha, no rush today. I've got plenty of time, but thanks nonetheless.

Bobalu: I don't even know the song. Haha, reminds me of dragonball z.

Magical Kitty: Yup, I know, and I'm not giving any hints. "evil grin"

Vesper Chan: Yup the action. I just had to make her do that once.

Panther eyes: Haha, she only did it once. I don't fear for their kids, I know exactly what's to happen. Yup, the final showdown.

Gothic Saku-chan: Haha, she did, she sure did. And Neji…well…I'm sorry about him.

The Rogue Stallion: "grin" geez, ever heard of shadenfreude?

The16thday: Well, he's my favourite Akatsuki. And about Neji, that's exactly what I had planned. I won't let him die so easily.

RaeVenn: Haha, is that so bad? I like evil cliffies for one. (writing them of course)

**And that's that. Ah, today is a historical day. Want to know why? "grin" the filler episodes ended! And today the time skip has been brought in. Now isn't that wonderful? "squeals in delight" well anyways…**

**On with it!!!**

_**False swipe**_

Sakura released the breath she had been holding and decided to do her duties before anything else. Being the medic nin she was, she simply had to tend to the bleeding jounin on the rooftops. So she jumped over to Neji who was panting rather heavily as in deep pain. Blood was actually gushing trough his fingers, leaking onto the roof he was standing on. He has already collapsed to his knees. Sakura appeared next to Neji in mere seconds and caught him before he fell over.

"It's going to be okay, Neji." Sakura whispered, gently laying the jounin down. She needed her space for this. She calmly took away Neji's hand, clenched in pain and immediately started the healing procedure. It took all of her concentration and strength to heal the Hyuuga. The wound had been a nasty one. Almost as if from an explosion. Sakura realized who had been the cause but this could not disturb her focus now. She had to make sure Neji was going to be okay. If not, Tenten would never forgive her.

She felt her breath speeding up just a tiny bit but she decided not to show her fatigue growing ever so slightly and slowly. This was simply her job. And she was never going to let anyone stop her simply for her own sake. A tiny bit of weariness never killed someone. She mended Neji's skin and muscles, and tried her best to close the arteries. This process went extremely slow though and Neji seemed to be hurting as she did this, almost as if the imaginary needle she used to mend him, could truly be felt by the boy.

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Lee was sure Sakura would be able to help Neji. He knew he could trust on her to do that, and this way, she would be kept out of any immediate danger. Wonderful. He took a few steps closer as well, wanting to be sure to be able to view the battle as well as he possibly could. He was standing almost next to Deidara. He would make sure the blond wouldn't try to do anything funny. He simply had to stop hurting people.

"Haven't you attracted enough audience yet, Ken?" Gai asked angrily. Ken's eyes shot up to look at Gai both amused and angry. "My dear brother, I simply have to make sure that you don't run away." He explained sadistically. "For if you do, all these people will be killed." Gai frowned. "You don't seriously think your small group will be able to fight half of the Konoha village do you?" he asked. Ken laughed. "Perhaps you don't quite realise quite how powerful we truly are." He lifted up his sleeve, to reveal what seemed to be some kind of a machine wrapped around his arm.

It wasn't a kind of machine with wires and sharp edges though, it was a smooth, almost liquid metal that adapted to Ken's arm easily, making the form of said metal quite unnoticeable when hidden underneath his coat. The metal reached Ken's fingers and somehow seemed threatening, no one really sure just what it was. "I am so much more powerful then you are, Gai." Ken spat. "You won't ever be able to beat me again." He dashed forward, towards Gai, who easily dodged the punch thrown at him. He made a back flip and gracefully landed back on his feet.

"Perhaps you should've killed me when I was wounded, Ken." Gai mocked. Ken grinned, Gai frowning at the action. Was he simply bluffing? Sadly for him though, he noticed way too late how a kunai soared towards him, hitting him harshly in his right shoulder. Gai gasped in surprise, and pulled out the thing, blooded by his blood. He turned to find his assaulter but when he did, Ken got back in action and tried hitting him again. Gai noticed just in time to avoid, but he didn't avoid to his fullest benefit and got hit in his chest by the by metal empowered arm. At first, nothing seemed to come from the metal when all of a sudden, sharp spikes emanated from the shining substance around Ken's fingers, penetrating Gai's skin, Gai crying out in pain.

Blood was splattered on the ground, many people not really sure what had just happened. "Stop your low tricks, Ken." Gai warned, wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. Lee had almost ran up to Gai, as if on reflex, but he was stopped by Deidara, who simply wouldn't have it. "Come now boy, don't make me kill you." The blond threatened. Lee growled and tried one last time to reach his sensei, simply being thrown back by a no longer amused Akatsuki member. "I'm warning you boy." He spat.

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Sakura found that she was making great progress. She tried not be distracted by the fight that was going on beneath her, she really tried! But she simply wasn't able to ignore the shouts of pain, the sound of flesh ripping and blood splattering. She couldn't keep in some tears when she saw from the corner of her eye how Lee was ruthlessly thrown back. Even though she really tried.

And because of these numerous distractions, she lost focus, and wasted chakra, still healing Neji. The wound was finally brought back to something any man could survive and she let out a small sigh in relief. Glad that she was at least sure the boy would live. He still seemed to be in pain though, and at the same time really troubled. So Sakura continued, ignoring the quite fast breathing escaping her lips now, her face paling slightly, her eyes two pools of determination. And then finally, she had reached her goal. She had healed Neji to the best of her abilities. She stopped the flow of chakra going to Neji's body and found her hands to be trembling.

She pulled them up to her face to find that they were quite cold as well. She looked at Neji who was trying to get up painfully. "Please…stay down." Sakura huffed with difficulty. "You're not fully healed yet." Neji looked at her as if judging her. He sighed and got up nonetheless. "I'll live, thanks to you." He said. Sakura sighed. She never expected the boy to listen to her anyways, so she simply nodded. She turned to the edge of the roof again to jump to Lee and help him if needed, when all of a sudden, she felt how a wave of dizziness hit her. She stumbled backwards a bit and closed her eyes without having the choice to do so, almost falling down from the roof.

But just in time, a strong arm pulled her back and carefully placed her on the roof, the girl unconscious. "You're too careless." Neji commented, knowing he wasn't heard. He sighed. He wasn't going to be any help anymore. He was still feeling awful and in pain, and he knew that he couldn't take much right now. So he decided to watch the fight that had already started from the roof, at the same time watching over the girl who had saved his life and at the same time was the wife of his best friend. Lee would never forgive him if he left her after she had healed him, even if he really wanted to.

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Gai's fist connected with Ken's cheek, the leader of the Akatsuki stumbling backwards. Gai didn't stop there. He kicked Ken harshly in his gut, flinging him onto the ground. Gai heaved because of his blood loss and waited for Ken to stand up again. After all, you can't kick someone when they're down. Ken got from the ground slowly, shaking with rage, while another kunai was flung at Gai, the green beast of Konoha evading the tool easily this time. "You can't beat me Ken." Gai exclaimed. "Please give up."

Most of the crowd was cheering Gai on, but the members of the Akatsuki were glaring ferociously at Gai. Also, they seemed to grow more and more impatient with the constant enthusiastic shouts coming from the surrounding people, which couldn't be good. And then, hell broke loose. An agitated scream reached everyone's ears, silencing the spectators. Ken had suddenly dashed forward, catching Gai – who he'd thought to be immobile – off guard, and thrusting his palm into Gai's already badly wounded chest, this time, a stream of electricity, coming from the metal, coursing its way trough Gai's body. And the scream lasted as did the electricity.

"Stop!" Lee screamed in fright. No one responded. Blood now came from Gai's nose, ears and even eyes, almost as if he was crying blood. Lee dashed forward, evading Deidara's attempt to stop him, almost as if the other was moving in slow motion, rushing towards Ken and smacking him harshly in the head, throwing him to the side for a great distance, releasing Gai from his pain. The man collapsed onto the ground, smoke floating upwards. Lee kneeled down next to his sensei, ignoring everything else that was happening around them.

Gai's face was stained with blood. His body seemed to be burned, and even blackened at some parts. The man still tried his best to get up though, not quite succeeding seeing how every pore of his body hurt. Lee was not sure what to do. He scanned the rooftops with his glazed eyes swiftly, trying to find his beloved. The angel that might still be able to help him, only to find a surprise equally unsettling. Sakura laid there unconscious, with Neji staring down, as if shocked.

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And stop! What do you think? Well? Well? Please do review! But I must go now! (it's singing night in the tavern.)


	59. To close ones eyes

Hello peeps. Man, did I get a punting today! Yeah, training was quite painful today but I learned some more cool moves. I love cool moves! Oh, right, reviewers…

Bobalu: Hm. I don't seem to know the cartoon. Well…Gai… I might kill him, who knows.

Magical Kitty: Well… earlier in the same chappie, I did mention she collapsed because of overusing her ckakra, remember?

Vesper Chan: Who are Cain and Able? "blink" Well… I'm not sure if I'll let him live.

The16thday: Tsunade? Hm… that could be a salvation… could be.

Sakurafan207: You didn't? Good! And thanks

Panther eyes: Indeed. He's a meanie, and Sakura will be alright….but Gai…I'm not sure.

RaeVenn: Oh, alright.

NinjaMuffins: I know! It had to hurt, and what do people have against me killing Gai?!

Gothic Saku-chan: Selfish? Nah. I wanna read more all the time myself.

The Rogue Stallion: Well… I think you're infected with shadenfreude. Haha, do you know the song? It's so funny!!! Part German? Cool!

And that's that. "groan" I'm getting sick. Whoever infected me must die. Anyways…if you guys would like it, could you perhaps also read and review two in one? My latest story…since I'm not sure if it should remain a one-shot or be continued, you know?

On with it!!!

_**To close ones eyes**_

"L-Lee, get away." Gai groaned. Lee's eyes flashed back towards Gai. "No sir, I will not abandon you." He was very aware of the fact that there was little he could do though. But… his eyes hot back to where Sakura was. He desperately wanted to check up on Sakura too. What could he do? What should he do? "Lee, I can't win this, and…neither can you." Gai groaned. "Sir, please do not give up." Lee's voice was trembling, and from the corner of his eye, he saw how Ken got up again. He motioned something to his faithful members of the Akatsuki, as if warning them not to come any closer, and he revealed his other arm. This arm was completely red, the flesh rather torn.

It looked like a giant mess, an arm unable to do even the smallest amount of damage. The arm of a corpse, almost. But Lee knew better then to underestimate his enemy. "You told me to never give up, to believe in myself." Lee said, tears streaming down his face, simply watching Gai's condition. The man still tried getting up, and he head already managed to scramble up into a humble position: onto his knees and arms, his arms trembling heavily, and his breath even more so. Lee was horrified to realize that part of Gai's face was blackened and…dead. And his eyes… they no longer held their pride, their believes, no longer did they hold hope. It scared Lee. "Please Lee." Gai begged. "Just leave."

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Neji slowly got up. This was going too far. Chakra or no chakra, he _had_ to do something. How could he ever look into the mirror again, knowing that he had let someone die, when he himself could've done something about it. He glanced one last time at Sakura, hoping that she would be safe and sighed. This might very well be the end for him… but still… he had no intention of dying just yet. He was going to help, do his duty, and then go home and finally ask Tenten the question he had longed to ask her for a long time now. _The_ question.

He finally jumped down, into the mass of people, past friends, past enemies, past people he had never seen before and could care less to know. Past a certain member of the Akatsuki who simply had noticed too late that someone infiltrated his defences, too mesmerized by what was happening in front of him. And finally, Neji reached Lee's side, stopping next to him. He bent down on one knee next to his sensei, examining the man with a kind of worry that had never before been able to be noticed. Neji actually _feared_ for the life of his sensei.

"Neji, what is wrong with Sakura?" Lee asked, too worried to mind a slowly advancing Ken. "She's fine, simply exhausted herself for healing me." Neji responded, keeping his eye firmly on the Akatsuki member they would surely have to face any second now. A sigh of relief escaped Lee's mouth, but only for a moment. Gai now shakily got to his feet, blood streaming trough his flesh and burns, his legs barely keeping him standing, the several wounds not helping much.

"Where are the other jounin?" Lee whispered almost angrily, standing in front of his sensei, getting in a defensive position. Why would they let a simple chuunin and a wounded jounin fight for a very important member of the Konoha society. Why? "They must watch the other people." Neji said. Ken wiped away some blood from his mouth with his sleeve. "There are too many here, and the jounin find they can't neglect about 20 people each, for one jounin." He sighed. "They find that to be the life of a ninja."

Lee looked at Neji in surprise. "Yet, you are here." He softly stated. He had never felt more admiration for his friend. In all his life, he had never seen Neji be so brave for the sake of others. He was… a true friend at this point. "He's my sensei too." Neji stated. "And…" he looked at Lee with his milky eyes. "You're my… friend." Lee smiled gratefully and immediately took his attack pose now, glaring at Ken. "Why do you interfere?" Ken asked, not the least bit amused at the actions of the two pupils his brother had trained so well.

"He's important to us." Neji stated simply. Ken growled slightly, a sick grin plastered on his face. "And you wish to die for _him_?" Lee narrowed his eyes. "We do not plan on dying." He stated simply, as if it was a given fact. "Lee, Neji, please just leave." Gai begged. It was clear that the man had given up all hope and faith. And he most certainly didn't wish for his pupils to be hurt for his sake, while his death was almost a given now. And even if it wasn't, he was hurt quite badly. Perhaps even more then Lee had been after his encounter with Gaara during the chuunin exams.

"I don't want you to be here. Leave!" he tried to sound angry, perhaps even a bit threatening. But eh simply couldn't pull it off, and all he could pull off was the true pleading in his voice. "I refuse to leave your side Gai-sensei." Lee loudly stated. "You are worth protecting, are you not?" he asked, not even wanting an answer. "I won't leave either." Neji stated. "So be it!" Ken stated instead of Gai. "If you want to die for a simpleton like him, I can easily grant you your wish." He grinned and took on his own attack stance. "But don't think I will go easy on you."

"Leave!" came Gai's loud voice one last time. It went completely ignored by his two pupils. They both simply focused on the Akatsuki member now dangerously dashing towards them. He punched forward to hit Lee, but Lee easily caught his fist, shoved his free hand underneath Ken's elbow, turned, and threw him over his shoulder, Ken landing harshly onto the ground. The man rolled backwards though, standing up to gain his attack stance once more, seeing too late how Neji had snuck up at him. Neji thrusted his palm into Ken's back who stumbled forward again, but felt very little effect.

Confused, Ken looked at Neji for a few seconds before avoiding a flurry off fists Lee had started throwing at him. Truth be told, without the chakra infused into Neji's hands, his normal attacks were very ineffective. Was he being just a burden here? No! he could still use simple taijutsu. Sure, it might not be as effective as Lee's, but at least it was something. He rushed forward again, barely avoiding another kunai thrown from the sides and tried hitting Ken on the head who dodged it together with Lee's constant strikes.

Gai was sadly trying to get closer to the battle that moved away from him every time he got a bit closer, almost as if they were doing it on purpose. He so desperately wanted to try and help his pupils, to still do something, but he could barely move, let alone attack efficient. The bleeding of his burns was not predicting much good either. He looked around at the mass of people surrounding them. Why didn't anyone do something about this. He looked up at the rooftops, knowing to find several jounin there. They weren't doing much to help either. He did note the pained expressions on the jounin's faces though. He sighed almost in defeat, knowing they were only doing what was best, watching over the poor people not realizing they were in the way.

He tried to stumble closer to the fight yet again, seeing he would never succeed, still not giving up. He couldn't let anything happen to those two now could he? He carefully pulled out a kunai with his left hand that had miraculously survived any real burns and grasped the tool tightly. He would attack when the time was right. After all, who would expect an attack from someone who was barely even breathing.

Lee dashed forward and let his right leg connect with Ken's upper left arm harshly. The man barely even twitched though. What was going on? He landed on the ground and used his arms to thrust himself and more importantly his right leg up to connect with Ken's chin. He did seem to have felt that though. He stumbled backwards, spluttering blood everywhere. Lee breathed heavily. He was almost at the end of his own strength too, and Neji didn't seem to be really able to do much, even though the boy truly tried. Neji had taken out several shuriken and threw these at Ken, seeing how the man was confused for a while. One of them connected, the man not truly able to dodge sufficiently. But all that got hurt was his left leg. Sure, it was bad, but not bad enough to lose a battle over. What was there left to do? Both Lee and Neji were tiring quickly.

Lee stood next to Neji again, hoping he had a plan. But he didn't. It seemed like nothing was going to work anymore. They watched how Ken readied himself for an attack, and they got ready to dodge. But then suddenly, Ken dashed forward with a speed never seen before. Too slow. Way too slow. The sounds of flesh ripping apart, blood gushing onto the ground in great waves, a heart slowing down, and finally stopping completely. An arm being pulled back, with the horrible sound of something slimy exciting something with much force, and a body that fell to the ground harshly, eyes staring at nothing anymore, simply… dead.

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Well well, what a cliffie. This is my solution. No one wanted Gai to die, I wanted someone to die so now you can guess who died. "grin"


	60. Desperation

You guys are so funny! Who died, who died? You all guessed so wrong. I told you, Gai doesn't die because you begged me for his life…and I obliged. But someone had to die. But before you find out who, my reviewers!

Bobalu: You are wrong! Guess again. heheh.

RaeVenn: who indeed? You'll find out now. Thanks for reviewing.

The Rogue Stallion: No he didn't. It's someone else.

Animelover5.6: Yup, Neji rocks…or…no, I'm not gonna say a thing.

The16thday: Haha, Sasuke? That would be quite the twist but…no. "grin" sorry.

Magical Kitty: Well, well, is that your guess now? We'll see if you're right.

Vesper Chan: how on earth would it be Sasuke?! Nah, Sakura will be just fine. Or will she…?

Panther eyes: er…no…it's not Ken who died. Sorry.

NinjaMuffins: No, it wasn't Ken. Yup, I'm very proud of this cliffie myself. Thank you.

Gothic Saku-chan: Ask and you shall receive. "grin"

Van the Key of Lain: I must say I am astounded that you indeed seem to realize what has happened. That is exactly what happened, yes. But can you figure out to whom? "grin" you'll find out right now anyways.

**And that's that. Finally, with this chapter 60, someone died. Someone you all know well, some of you will want to kill me but oh well…let's just say…**

**On with it!**

_**Desperation**_

Silence. Complete silence. It was almost as if a sudden darkness was brought forward, one that would remain forever. His eyes were staring at nothing, and his blood was still flowing freely onto the ground, his entire body lifeless, and without a doubt…dead. Lee fell to his knees, his body shutting down because of the sudden rush of emotions going trough his mind. He crawled closer to the body slowly, tears filling his eyes. He crawled trough the blood, trough the dirt, towards what once was…

"Neji." Lee whispered hoarsely. The boy before him did not answer. His eyes didn't shoot to him, glaring into his dark eyes, his hand didn't grasp a kunai, ready to slice him for waking him up, his mouth was never to open again, throwing insults at the green beast of Konoha. Neji's long, black hair was spread onto the ground, his blood colouring it even darker then it was. Lee tried to look away from the giant hole that had been shot in his chest, not wanting to see, not wanting to realize, that his heart indeed was gone, carelessly thrown aside a few feet away.

Lee heard the slow stumbling behind him. The stumbling he knew came from his sensei. He simply didn't care. "Neji wake up." He whispered. He had to wake up. He just had to. Lee felt his throat dry when Neji still didn't respond. He couldn't be gone, that was unimaginable. "Neji please…" his voice trembled, and his hands clenched into fists, Neji's clothing being buried in his palms. Tears were now flowing freely, falling onto Neji's face, slowly dripping from his pale cheeks. He looked so… helpless.

"Please wake up." Lee pleaded. "Please, please stand up." The stumbling behind him stopped but still, Lee didn't care. He didn't care about anything else but Neji right now. He needed to wake up, to stop the cruel prank he was playing. He needed to get up and run home right now, to do what he had promised Lee he'd do. To propose to Tenten, to marry her, and to build a family. Damn it! He had so very much left to live for. So very much left… to do. Lee slowly began to shake the lifeless body that seemed to be taunting him.

"What kind of a ninja are you?" Lee almost yelled. "Get up, do not be beaten by one blow, get up. GET UP!!!" His trembling hands were soaked with blood, as were his arms and his green jumpsuit, the normally outstanding colour barely visible anymore. Tears mixed desperately with the crimson liquid, not nearly enough to make a difference. "GET UP, RIGHT NOW!" Lee raised his hand and slapped Neji hard in the face. No doubt, the Hyuuga would burst awake and slam him to the moon for slapping him… but no. His lifeless eyes were simply staring at Lee, who's vision was exceptionally blurry right now. "Get up." Lee pleaded desperately yet quietly one last time, before burying his face into Neji's chest, knowing very well, he would not hear the trusted sound of a thumping heart.

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Was that…crying? Sakura felt how the cold wind caressed her face gently. She heard very few sounds, which made the sobs she heard quite obvious. It sounded… familiar. Did she know the person who was crying right now? It sounded distant. And then she sniffed the air. And a gory smell filled her nose. This too, she recognized. She had smelled it numerous times, working in the hospital as a medic nin. The smell of blood. There seemed to be lots of it since it filled the entire air.

She moved her fingers slowly, noticing by the throbbing pain she inwardly felt, that she had used a bit too much of her chakra. But she would be just fine, after all, it wasn't like it hadn't happened before. She lifted her arm gently and slowly rubbed her face. Her hand felt cold. She opened her eyes, the sobbing she heard only getting clearer. She was looking up at the sky. Dark clouds covered it entirely, the sun nowhere to be found, not a single speck of blue to be seen. Why didn't this sobbing stop. Was the fight over already? She brought herself to a sitting position very slowly.

And this is when she realized the sobbing she heard could come from one person only. One she held very dear. Lee. She frantically begun searching the grounds and didn't need to look for long. There he was. Sakura was surprised and anxious to suddenly find Lee a bloody mess, but calmed down quickly when she noticed the blood couldn't be his. After all, someone who had lost that much blood, was facing certain… death.

Death? She squinted her eyes to see who Lee was leaning into, crying for. Since Gai was a few feet behind him, obviously hurt extremely, but still alive, it couldn't be him. Sakura looked next to her to ask Neji, finding the boy was no longer there. Where could he have run off to? She tested her legs to see if they could carry her weight, and when she found they could she jumped down from the lonely rooftop she had been standing on. Why was everyone so quiet? It seemed as if the air was filled with sadness, even though most Akatsuki members were sneering evilly.

She pushed trough the crowds, towards Lee. She needed to comfort him. She needed to make him feel better and to make sure he was alright. How could she have fallen unconscious when she was needed? "Hold it beautiful, no trespassing." A very familiar Akatsuki suddenly said, stopping the kunoichi. Sakura simply glared at him. "Lee needs me." She stated, wanting to pass him by yet still, she was stopped. "Look, there's no interfering with this battle." He explained. "I will go to him, one way or another." Sakura threatened, pouring chakra into her fist. "Ah come on, I would hate to see you waste your life like this." Deidara said almost…teasingly.

Sakura threw a punch at him that Deidara easily avoided, giving Sakura the opening she had wished to create. She ran past him as fast as he could, once again resuming her path to Lee, but this time…slower. She still had no idea who died. Who could've died to get Lee this upset? Who? She still wanted to try and help him though, try and keep him from plunging himself into the same darkness she had once craved to plunge into. She would make sure he knew he still had her. But once more she was stopped. This time, by a heavily burned arm, shakily held in front of her.

"Leave him." Gai said simply. Sakura looked up to him to find tears streaming down his horribly mutilated face. His tears though, were silent. "But…I can't do that." Sakura protested. Lee's sobs cut trough her heart, making her ache horribly. She only wanted to help him. "I have never seen him in such despair." Gai said quietly, perhaps fearfully. I'm not sure what he could do now. Sakura saw Gai glance at Ken angrily, the man standing there, his arms crossed, as if proud of his actions, happy to watch the show he had helped create. What kind of a cruel man was this?

"Gai." Ken suddenly said. "I think this proves that I am the stronger of us two." He glanced at the body dead by his hands one more time before grinning evilly at Gai. "I'll present you with one last chance, brother." Ken stated. "One more chance to try and defeat me. And if you fail…" he grinned and sneered at Sakura. "I will kill the girl you seem to be holding back with the last of your strength right on front of your face." He grinned. "And next, you." Sakura was slightly hurt that Lee hadn't even flinched at what Ken had just stated. How far away was he really? Ken gestured with his arm, getting all Akatsuki members to disappear. And then, they were gone, as if they had never been there, the only proof of their visit the body they left behind.

"Please let me help him." Sakura pleaded. The pleading words Lee had started throwing at the body he now held in his arms were saddening her extremely. So what if Lee was unstable now? She'd rather he slapped her in the face then keep this up. He was slipping away, and she wanted to do everything she could to stop it. Gai sighed and dropped his arm. He slowly fell o his knees, his body unable to take much more. Tears were still streaming down his face. Neji was perhaps no longer his student, but this didn't take away that to him, he still was his pupil, and one that he cared for too. But now… he was gone. Not even the constant aching of his body could bring him back to reality now.

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"Neji, how long do you wish for me to keep on pleading?" Lee asked. The body he clutched in his arms was so very cold. So very cold and wet. Yet still, Lee didn't want to see the truth. He kept avoiding the words constantly thrown at him in his mind, telling him what was truly going on here. He avoided them, keeping on believing his own truth. The one that told him that Neji would stop staring off in the distance anytime now, looking up at him, an angry glare in his eyes, telling him to stop hugging him.

But so far… Neji had not moved.

"Lee?" the soft voice trying to reach him was ignored, perhaps simply not heard. "Lee?" the voice once more stated. It sounded like a far away voice to Lee, but a few seconds later, it was already forgotten. A soft pressure on his shoulder brought him out of his daze though. He flung his body around, keeping Neji protectively in his arms, glaring at who ever dared to try and take Neji away from him. What he saw was Sakura, taking a step back at his sudden reaction, as if… fearing him.

Lee would've jumped up if he could. "Sakura, please help me." He begged. Sakura stared at the body, finally recognizing it. It was Neji's. She noticed she had stopped breathing and tried to pick up inhaling once more, barely succeeding. She felt tears sting at the corners of her eyes. She looked away from the brutally killed body, landing once more into Lee's eyes. The dark orbs were pleading and Sakura remembered what the boy had asked of her. She kneeled down next to Lee, avoiding the empty eyes of the Hyuuga at all costs. She too was already stained with blood.

"What do you want me to do?" Sakura asked. Lee grabbed her hand. "Heal him." He begged. "Please heal him." Sakura looked up at him sadly. "Lee don't you understand?" she asked sadly. "He's…" "No! Please try and heal him." He tugged at Sakura's hand with a little bit more force then he intended too. Sakura took in a sharp breath, her hand almost entirely pressed upon the body. "Can you not try?" Lee pleaded once more. Sakura felt tears run down her face. She was powerless to change this. Nothing could change this. Nothing.

"He's dead Lee, he's dead!" she tried. He had to realize it. "Try it!" Lee now ordered desperately. "Try it!" Sakura cringed. "I'm out of chakra Lee, do you want me to die too, trying to save someone who is already dead?!" Sakura was shocked at her own words. Did she have to sound so harsh now? She was simply scared. Lee seemed to be shocked as well. "No." he whispered. "No, please forgive me." He pulled her into a hug, so tight, Sakura could barely breath. Fresh tears were shed on her shoulder. "I do not want you to die… as well."

Yes, he finally realized. Neji was dead.

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There… now er… please don't kill me. Is it sad enough? I sure hope so. I did my best making it as sd as I could. Now, I'm pretty sure I reached 120 000 words with this so yay! Please review


	61. Blame

"avoids rocks thrown at her." People, please calm down! Geez, Neji is dead, deal with it. Alright, I'll reply to you lot.

Vesper Chan: No, Neji really is dead, I'm sorry. But Lee'll get over it… eventually.

Magical Kitty: Indeed. But he still has her, and yeah, you were right. The only one!

Bobalu: Haha, gosh indeed. Aaaw, crying? Yeah, poor Lee eh? No what?

KankurosBandGeek2010: soap opera? Is that good or bad?

The Rogue Stallion: Ken is gone, and far away so no, not yet. Yeah, poor Tenten.

Animelover5.6: Look, he's dead! I can't change that anymore. I'm sorry.

Amber: No sorry, I can't do that. Neji's heart has been ripped out. That means he's dead.

Byakuganneji0908: Er…wow. Want me to hide or something? I'm sorry but everyone kept pleading me to not let Gai die, so I simply let Neji die. Isn't that fair? "sheepish grin"

RamenFreakGaara: Because of the drama! If Ken died everyone would be happy.

Gothic Saku-chan: Gai didn't have the strength or ability to. Yup, sorry.

Panther eyes: how? Simple, I just wrote it down.

NinjaMuffins: Yeah, I wanted to make a real sad one. Tenten? What about Hinata?

RaeVenn: I must say, I agree completely but you must understand that some people simply like to read about Lee being the bad guy. I'm sure some people want to kill me for making Sasuke into a bad guy and even more for killing off Neji. But as that Rock Lee fic you so hate, this is appreciated too. But I'd probably flame the author too. Glad you liked this chapter.

**And that was all of them! Yay, 13 reviews on the 13th of February. Watch out for tomorrow peeps. Ah, got to go check on my cookies now!!! … no, not done yet. I'm making cookies for valentine you know.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Blame**_

The memories of the previous day swam trough Lee's head. He couldn't sleep. He really couldn't. He had tried to before but every time again, he would see those lifeless eyes of Neji pierce his soul. Every time he looked at his hands, he could still see the blood that had been spilled on them. He felt like this was all his fault. He should've done something to stop him. He should've tried to protect him. Why? Why didn't he see this coming? Why had he let Neji do what he did, and fight an enemy that still hadn't been defeated?

Trough the darkness, he turned his head to look at Sakura. She was turned sideways, the back of her head the only thing visible to Lee. He could only guess she was already sleeping. He sighed heavily, his breath shaking as he did. He would say he'd rather he died instead of Neji but now, knowing what he had left to protect, to live for… he couldn't even think it. And for some reason, this made him feel extremely guilty.

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Sakura felt how Lee was constantly moving and she knew he wasn't asleep. How could he be? His best friend had just died, and right next to him too. What Lee didn't realize though was that Sakura too had been wide awake ever since she put down her head on her pillow as well. The tears that occasionally rolled down her cheeks and onto said pillow remained silent and unnoticed though. She too felt great sorrow for the loss of Neji. But she knew Lee's pain was even greater then hers. After all, he had been his rival, best friend and team-mate.

She was afraid to move, seeing how Lee would notice her being awake because of it. Alright perhaps not, but she couldn't take the chance. She didn't want to be found all distraught right now. She only felt like she didn't even deserve anyone's comfort. After all, if she had done a better job on healing Neji, he might still be alive right now. He might've been just that bit faster to avoid the blow he had received. And then, Lee wouldn't be right there next to her, sobbing every now and then, restlessly moving around in the bed. She inwardly sighed. Lee had announced that tomorrow, he would visit Tenten to go and console her. He hadn't faced her yet, but he was sure she knew. Sakura had promised to go with him. She may not have deserved any comfort, but Lee sure had.

And that's how the two teenagers and still newly-weds struggled trough the long night. Thinking about events passed, blaming no one but themselves, and hoping, simply wishing that everything that had happened could be a dream, a dream they could awake from any minute now. But they knew better then that, and soon, morning came.

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"Lee, are you awake?" Sakura asked softly, knowing the answer very well. "I-I am Sakura." He responded weakly. Sakura was sure he hadn't gotten any sleep that night, but she hadn't either. She lifted herself up from the bed and boldly turned to look at Lee. This took all of her courage, seeing how she wasn't sure about any of Lee's reactions these days. But what could one expect?

Lee's eyes were red and puffy. It seemed he too had been crying. Sakura could only hope she didn't look the same way. But even if she did, Lee wouldn't look at her. He didn't even glance at her. His hair was simply covering his eyes, granting them partial invisibility from Sakura. Sakura sighed and got up. But not before leaning in and kissing Lee gently. If love still remained in his heart – which she was sure it did – he would not be completely unsatisfied with the tender action. She smiled, even if just a little, when she saw a very small blush still creep up, and got to get herself dressed.

As she rummaged trough her closet, she found one of Lee's jumpsuits by accident. Right. That too was still there. She hugged it tightly, as if it were her own prized jumpsuit. She felt so afraid for Lee, almost as if she could feel what he was feeling at the moment. She wanted Lee to wear it, because it was a sign of his team, seeing how he had received it there, granting both Tenten and …Neji…freedom from the ugly piece of clothing. On the other hand though, she once more felt a little left out every time she saw him wear it. Not only because he was part of a completely different team but also because it reminded her time after time how much better Lee was then her. And then there was… the doubt.

She turned around to face Lee, who had still not moved an inch. The green jumpsuit was clasped tightly in her hands. Lee was not himself anymore. Sure, this could only be understood, but Sakura already missed the hyper and always sure and happy boy she had fallen in love with. She already missed that cute twinkle in his eyes. She missed… his love. This jumpsuit could be all that was left of him right now, and could…perhaps…serve as a slight reminder to who he was mere days ago.

She shifted a bit closer towards Lee. He still didn't move. If Lee's shallow breathing wasn't one of the only sounds in the room, Sakura might've very well believed he had died as well. She finally sat herself where his legs rested. And still, he did not move. She paid no real attention to it though. She softly leaned against Lee's legs, as if trying to get his attention, and gently placed the jumpsuit next to him. "Come on, get dressed Lee." She whispered, trying to sound casual. She truly hoped he'd take the jumpsuit.

Lee's hands lowly moved to the piece of clothing and pulled it closer to him. "Alright." His soft voice replied as he too got up from the bed. Sakura sighed in relief as she saw him put it on. He was not losing himself. She too got dressed in the clothing she usually wore, feeling confident in it. Today she would have to be the strong one, no matter how much it pained her. She had to be Lee's support now, and try to carry his pain as well, for she was sure it was hard to carry alone. Besides, she couldn't remember how many times the boy had helped _her_ out.

And finally, they were fully dressed. They both silently made their way down, an uncomfortable silence striking Sakura. She wasn't even sure if Lee knew she was there. She opened the door and allowed Lee to pass before closing the door behind her. She turned the lock and jogged behind Lee who hadn't even waited for her. "Lee, are you forgetting about me, or something?" she bluntly asked. Lee stopped in his tracks to look at Sakura. She wasn't sure if the look he sent her was a glare or simply one of question.

"I'm sorry." Sakura mumbled, feeling like a kid who needed to be punished. She decided they probably should get to Tenten's as fast as they could. But she couldn't take too many steps before a hand clasped her own tightly. "Please do not think that I am truly forgetting you." Lee said softly. His voice sounded like it would never be cheerful again, and what was worse was that it had sounded like that all morning. "I am simply… well… sad, do you not understand, Sakura?" he asked.

Sakura grasped his arm tightly, their fingers intertwined. "I understand, I don't know why I'm acting this way. I'm sad too." She admitted. "But I just think we should…you know…stick together." Lee sighed. "I know, you are right." He admitted. And so they walked, the silence getting a bit more comfortable.

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Wow, this chapter was pointless. But next one, you'll see Tenten's reaction. And a small time skip…or a big one, it's up to you. Tell me what you'd like. And please review. Haha, still one hour till midnight, I made it!!! (and the cookies are great)


	62. Different kind of fear

Hmm… it seems updating in the nick of time granted me fewer reviews then usual. But that's my own fault. Let's reply now.

Gothic Saku-chan: Haha, glad you still like it.

The Rogue Stallion: Hmm… yes, perhaps. I thank you.

Van the Key of Lain: Wow, you really think about what I write a lot, don't you? I'm very flattered you do, and thank you for telling me so wonderfully what you think of it. I'm glad you liked it!!! Yes you can have a cookie, if you come and get one.

Magical Kitty: Hey! My cookie! Well…he'll be better in no time, don't you think.

Panther eyes: Heartless? I am very sorry if I indeed seemed so. I don't like being told I'm heartless though. "sigh" I'm really sorry. But there truly is…no way…to bring back Neji. Unless you can come up with a plan? Heheh. But about Tenten…you'll find out right now.

**And that's well… all of them. Oh well… Since tomorrow, I'm going away with school, I have plenty of time right now. Oh, and I got a pretty red rose from a boy today, so yay **

**On with it.**

_**Different kind of fear**_

Sakura didn't know how long Lee had stood there, fidgeting with the headband tide around his waist. It seemed like he was scared of ringing the bell. Sakura gently touched his arm to get his attention. "Do you want me to ring the doorbell, Lee?" she asked gently. Lee nodded, unable to say much at this point. He glanced at Sakura for a second who gave him a very small smile. She didn't feel too confident herself but… this was for Lee.

Sakura stretched out her arm slowly and found that it was trembling. She sighed. Where had her courage gone too? Finally, she rang the dreaded doorbell that even sounded like ordering them to go away. Both Lee and Sakura stood their ground though. And after a few seconds of waiting, they heard a faint stumbling that got closer as the seconds crawled by. They heard the unlocking of the lock and finally, the door opened, to reveal who they had come to visit. Tenten. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was one giant mess. But neither of the three people standing there cared.

Tenten stared for a small while at Sakura and Lee, sighed, and finally stepped aside to let them in. "Please come in." her soft voice sounded. Lee and Sakura obliged, Sakura noticing how the girl threw her an awkward glance as she passed by. Was that anger, or was Sakura mistaken? Sure enough, the room they were led into was messy. Really messy. But what really troubled Sakura was the collection of weapons found throughout the room and probably the house. She didn't know why, but today, it scared her. She swallowed and took a small step back.

Lee glanced at her and blinked, not sure what Sakura was so scared off. "Please sit down." Tenten said. It sounded a lot like an order though, but Sakura and Lee obliged, sitting down in the white couch, stained with black spots here and there. Cuts could be seen that probably were caused by a few kunai. How old the cuts were, was the real question. "What brings you here?" Tenten asked. Sakura hated the fact that she sounded so serious. "We wanted to see if we could help you." Lee said, almost begging her to look at him. She did, but her eyes sent him a menacing glare.

"Help me?" she asked in disbelief. She laughed falsely. "So,_ now_ you want to help?" she asked again. Lee opened his mouth to say something but no words came. "You should've helped_ him_ back then." She spat. "You should've made sure he was alright. You should've…" she stopped mid sentence because Sakura had grabbed Lee's hand in comfort. Tenten saw that without words, she was consoling him. A bond she once shared with a precious person herself. And it was taken away. All she could do was direct her anger towards the people who simply couldn't stop hurting her with their _loving_ actions.

"And_ you_!" she said angrily, pointing her finger at Sakura. Sakura wished she could just disappear. "If you had healed Lee better, if you were a better medic nin then you pretend to be right now, he could've still lived." She brutally came closer towards Sakura who already lifted her arm in front of her chest, in a defence of last resort. Almost as if it were a reflex. "You are a worthless bitch." Tenten spat and slapped Sakura harshly across the face.

Sakura who was shocked because of the slap itself, and the strength that was behind it, fell to the ground. Lee immediately got up and kneeled down next to her. "Tenten." He growled, barely containing himself. Things were going bad enough as they were. "You can blame _me_ all you want, you may attack _me_ all you want, but do not dare lay another finger on Sakura." He softly turned Sakura's face to check on her, only to see an ugly bruise forming on her face. He gently lifted her up from the ground and turned to Tenten, not able to suppress the glare he sent her way. He saw the tears sparkle in her eyes but felt no pity for her at this moment. She could be hurting and she could be sad, but that was no reason to go and attack other people, especially if those people had no share in the blame.

"Sakura healed Neji to the best of her abilities." Lee growled. "She even collapsed from loss of chakra because she overdid it." Lee put Sakura down in the couch again, stroking her hair to end the touch he had granted her. Sakura already felt a lot better seeing how the old Lee was bubbling up again. "She endangered herself to help Neji and you still dare blame her?" Lee asked softly. The whisper he had thrown at her was almost venomous, and Tenten simply stood there, probably thinking of what she should do next. "It's alright Lee." Sakura suddenly said, breaking the silence.

"She's right you know." She sighed and leaned back a bit. "I'm simply not a good enough medic nin, so it's… partially my fault. Perhaps I should've trained harder." Lee sat down next to Sakura again. "She is not right Sakura. You are a great medic ninja. And you know you are not allowed any training because of your condition." Sakura was glad they were sticking up for each other again, but she started feeling sorry for Tenten now. "Tenten." She said, directing her attention back to the weapons ninja. "Either way, we're really sorry for what happened." Tenten looked at Sakura and saw the truth in her eyes.

"I know." She sighed. "I'm sorry." She turned her gaze to Lee. "Lee, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked. Lee nodded and walked out of the room with Tenten, leaving Sakura to wonder what would be so private to talk about, feeling left out of the team yet again, the throbbing pain in her cheek the only thing keeping her company at the moment.

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"What is it Tenten?" Lee asked, surprised because of the fact that Tenten didn't want to include Sakura in the conversation. "I've visited Gai-sensei." Lee nodded. Gai had been taken to the hospital yet again. His recovery would once more be a long and hard one, but this time it was even more difficult. Every day, he would have to undergo new hours of healing. The burns he had were inflicted on the out – and inside of his body and needed extreme professional attention. This meant that he couldn't leave the hospital until his burns had healed. The holes pierced in his skin were almost fully recovered already though, because of Tsunade's handiwork. The greatest problem had been his constant sadness though. The once caused by the death of Neji. And no one seemed to be able to bring him out of this sadness.

Truth be told, Lee hadn't even tried to console him yet. He hadn't gone to see him, simply because he couldn't bring up the courage he needed to do so. He himself was grieving for his best friend still and he feared that he himself could only bring Gai into further despair. But he was glad about the fact that Tenten had already visited him. At least he hadn't stayed alone. But what did Tenten want to say by telling him this? "He told me…Ken said something…a threat." Tenten said. "Did you hear?" Lee cast his eyes down.

He was shamed to say that he had been too engulfed in his own despair to notice anything going on in the area around him. Tenten let out a shaky sigh. Partially because of the tears she was still repressing and partially because she really didn't want to be the one who had to tell Lee. But someone had to. "Ken said…that he would give Gai-sensei one last chance." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "But if he lost again…she continued…He would kill Sakura." Lee's head shot up as if in protest, but what could he do? Had this really been said? "No." he whispered. "I cannot deal with her death, I cannot!" Tenten sighed. "Perhaps… we should train." Tenten suggested. "Losing a loved one is… indeed too painful to bear." She rummaged trough one of her closets.

"Your inability to mould chakra is indeed a problem, Lee." She said. Lee felt like she was talking to herself mostly. "So I have something I want to give to you, something that might help." She finally emerged with a giant sword, in the shining colour of blood red. "I have no longer use for it." She said. She haled out her hand to give the sword to Lee. Lee stood there in awe. "Why not?" he asked. Tenten sighed as she pushed the sword into Lee's hands. "Because this sword… taps its power from the will of the user. The will… to protect a loved one." As soon as Lee touched the sword and finally claimed it as his own, it became blue. "When it colours red… you have failed." Tenten whispered, staring at the ground. "Take care of her Lee."

Lee nodded. He took the sword with him. If Tenten had one vast knowledge, it was the one about weaponry. Her saying that this sword could help him, meant that it truly could. But he would have to train. Sure, he knew how to wield a sword but was no master of it. Finally, they came back to the place Sakura was seated. Sakura stared in awe at the sword but dared not ask any questions. "Could you please leave now?" Tenten asked. "I would like to be alone now." Lee nodded, understanding the girl, and he grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her with him, outside of the house, Tenten locking the door behind them.

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Months passed since the incident. The funeral given for Neji had been a large one. The entire Hyuuga household had been there. It seemed Neji had somehow captured a little piece of each Hyuuga's heart, even if he was the most grumpy one of all of them. His chest has been loaded with white roses, and one single red one. Hinata had been broken as much as Tenten had been. Neji had been her cousin after all, and they had just started to get along. But contrary to Tenten, she had Naruto to comfort her, his strong arms providing at least some healing of the heart.

And so, after some long months, the grieving started to subdue…people started to smile again. And Sakura was getting much, and much bigger. She was barely able to walk anymore and Lee forced her to stay put as much as she could, seeing how even walking hurt he back tremendously. The house they had been living in had been taken care off completely by Lee. He had painted the rooms, giving some of them his own personal touch. He had cleaned whatever there was to clean in the house, that was now as clean as could be. It looked a lot more comfortable now. Sakura had never been one to be neat and keep everything nice and clean, so she could only be glad that Lee seemed to truly enjoy keeping the household, even though it was much larger then his own house had been.

Naturally, a lot of things bugged them. First of all, the Akatsuki were still to return, and even though Gai had only healed up half of his injuries so far, you could never know when those sleazy bastards would come back. They could only hope the entire organization was killed off before they had to chance to return. But second of all, there was that eerie warning that had been on the wall of the broken house. They still had no clue as to who could have written it, and this only heightened their fear.

But this didn't keep them fro living happily. There was the fear to live with, yes, but they had each other, and their being together had proven to be quite useful a long time ago. They kept each others' fears from becoming too bad and helped each other where they could. Lee had secretly been training with the sword Tenten had given him. He thought it could only help him, and decided that he would do anything to keep Sakura from being killed. And so he trained many hours a day, or he did, but the last days, he had stayed close to Sakura. Not only because she was barely able to move anymore, but also because the time was almost there. And he would be damned if he left her alone while she could be in labour any minute now. And still, Sakura had kept the secret of the twins' sex, not spilling a word, though the secret itself was killing her.

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One day, she was lazily stretching her legs, yawning widely, as Lee walked by, laughing at her cuteness. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked kindly. Sakura stared at him, and sighed. She still, still felt her heart beat faster and her cheeks reddening every time she saw Lee. And she kept seeing the same reaction out of him. Yes, they were still very much in love. Sakura smiled when all of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain cut trough her belly. She gasped and looked at the huge mountain she was facing. "What is wrong?" Lee asked. Sakura got up from her seat with much difficulty and looked Lee in the eye. She could only smile. "Lee… I think…" another sharp pain shot trough her stomach and when she looked down she saw her water was broken. "The babies are coming!" Lee screeched. Sakura felt him lift her up before she could protest. She didn't even bother to think about how Lee was even able to carry her anymore at this point. Finally, it was happening. Finally, she would be able to meet the two little people growing inside of her.

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And that's that for this chapter. Now, I'll wait before updating this. After all… it's only 2:15 now. If I wait a tad longer, I might get a few more reviews on last chapter. "grin" oh, and please do review this chapter.


	63. Welcome children

Heh, I already wrote this chapter yesterday, so all I have to do now is answer my reviewers! So here goes!

Gothic Saku-chan: yes, they are. So here we go!

Bobalu: Ah, don't worry about it. Yup, finally the babies come. And Tenten…well…let's say I have a plan…not sure if I'll use it though. It might be _too_ cruel.

Lady IkoYume: Well, all of that will be revealed in this chapter, I assure you!

NinjaMuffins: Yup, I wanted him to have a sword, so there! Glad at least someone mentions it.

Animelover5.6: Yeah… I'm sorry. But yes, rejoice! Babies!

RaeVenn: everyone is lazy at times and… YES!!!

The Rogue Stallion: Wow… you're thinking two steps ahead, aren't you. "grin" let's say I indeed have something planned for Sasuke.

Magical Kitty: Haha, yes they are!

Panther eyes: Well, since this chapter was written before your review, you'll have to read and find out yourself.

**And that's all of them! Enjoy this chapter! Yes it is a bit short… but compared to the very first chapters it's way longer! Hope you like it!**

**On with it!**

_**Welcome children**_

Lee rushed and rushed to the hospital. He couldn't stop grinning. Finally, it was happening. Finally, something good would happen, yes, finally, their family would be extended with two more members. And finally, the secret would be revealed to him. Sakura felt the harsh stings in her belly get worse, and faster, but she couldn't help but feel secure in Lee's very strong arms. His goofy grin simply told her that everything was going to be alright.

And then, finally, they arrived. Too bad for them, Tsunade was nowhere to be found. "What's going on?" a doctor asked, running up to them. "She's in labour." Lee said. "Our babies are going to be born." The doctor nodded and summoned a few nurses with a flick of his hand. They brought in a bed on wheels, and Lee put her down on the bed. "I can come with her, right?" Lee asked. The doctor smiled. "Of course sir." He responded.

They rolled Sakura into an elevator, Lee not able to fit in the machine as well. "I'm sorry sir, could you wait for the next one?" a nurse asked. Lee simply ran trough a door and took the stairs. He was upstairs faster then the elevator was. The nurses ignored his speed, knowing very well what some ninja were capable of, and continued onwards with Sakura, Lee running behind them. He saw that every now and then, Sakura took in a sharp breath, as if in pain. He knew this was normal but couldn't help but feel concerned for her.

Finally, they arrived in a room, and the nurses shifted Sakura into another bed. One that stood firmly on the ground. They left, but before they did, Lee stopped one of them. "Could you please get Tsunade-sama for us?" he asked. The nurse looked at him in confusion. "She is very busy sir, I'm not sure why you'd need her, but I'm afraid that's impossible." Lee opened his mouth to protest when all of a sudden, an angry voice behind him did so for him. "You stupid girl, I am the number one apprentice of Tsunade, so if you refuse to go and alert her of this I'm sure she'll fire you and if she doesn't, I'll make sure that she does. GO GET HER!!!"

Lee flinched at the sudden loudness of her voice. She appeared angry. The nurse did more then flinch. She ran away, surely to go get Tsunade as fast as she could. "Please do not get so angry, Sakura." Lee begged. Sakura glared at him dangerously. She took in another sharp breath, which kept her from saying anything. Lee decided it would be best if he simply kept his mouth shut for now. He sat down next to Sakura's bed and took her hand in his. He wasn't sure what to do next, but the least he could do was be strong for her.

The doctor smiled, as if knowing exactly what went trough Lee's head right now. Lee doubted this though. He was scared of his wife. He was never scared! She felt how she squeezed his hand tightly and released the grip after a few seconds again. How much pain was she really in? "Is this normal?" Lee asked worriedly. "Yes, it is." The doctor assured. "Don't worry sir, she's doing fine." Lee sighed in relief and looked up in surprise as suddenly, the door was slammed open by a tall, blond figure. "Tsunade-sama." Lee uttered. Tsunade smiled at him and walked over to Sakura. "I heard you threatened to make me fire that poor nurse." Tsunade said. Sakura didn't answer. "Poor thing, she worked here for two weeks now."

Lee chuckled slightly, earning himself another glare from Sakura. He looked at her in disbelief and turned his head back to Tsunade in slight shock. "Don't worry Lee, all women are like that." She sighed. "How much longer?" she asked the doctor. "She's almost ready." The doctor answered. Tsunade smiled. She would be lying if she said she hadn't been waiting for this. Finally, after 9 long months of waiting, and after the grief her village had to endure, a happy moment would occur.

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The next hours were filled with screaming, pain, the doctor telling Sakura to push, and that she was doing great, while Sakura wanted nothing else but rip off his head. "Lee, if you ever touch me again, I'll kill you!" she threatened. Lee was afraid that she was serious. He looked at the hand that was still holding hers. It had been squeezed, nearly broken, scratched and at a certain moment even bitten. Lee had cringed several times because of the pain Sakura suddenly inflicted on his poor hand, but he was happy that she at least didn't use her chakra. Perhaps she needed all the chakra she could muster right now, he wasn't sure. All he wanted was for Sakura's pain to stop soon.

And then, all of a sudden, the cries of a baby filled the room. It was taken by Tsunade swiftly, who washed the child gently and softly, placing it in Sakura's arms when she was done. Sakura had let go of Lee's hand, which kind of pleased Lee. "One more!" Tsunade announced. Sakura quickly put the child very gently in the care of Lee, telling him exactly how to hold it, Lee doing a wonderful job. These were the last pushes. She would be rid of the lump in her stomach any minute now. She already gained one child, now the other.

This one came out a lot faster then the first had. Lee felt like he was going to faint any time now but he kept himself from doing so because of the soft little bundle in his arms. He looked into the green eyes of the child, looking up at him with glee. This one had the eyes of its mother. Finally, a second wave of crying filled the room, and Tsunade washed the second child as well, giving it to Sakura when she was done. "Congratulations." The doctor said. Tsunade was beaming at the two new parents. "You have two, beautiful, healthy baby boys."

Lee's mouth was agape. Boys. He had gotten two boys. He looked once more at the child in his arms. He saw a small pluck of black hair on his little head. Lee gently lifted his hand, with fingers that seemed extremely long now, as the child in his arms coincidentally lifted his own little hand, bringing it against Lee's hand. It was so very small. It was smaller then Lee's palm. Lee let his finger stroke the boy's face very gently when all of a sudden, tiny fingers clasped firmly around his index finger. This was a feisty one. Lee smiled and looked at Sakura who seemed to be extremely tired, but happy nonetheless.

She too was holding a tiny little miracle. Lee looked at the baby to see this one had his own dark eyes. He didn't move much, but seemed to enjoy being held by its mother. Lee smiled happily and gazed at Sakura again who this time turned to meet his eyes. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" she whispered. Lee moved a bit closer and kissed her carefully on the lips. When he saw her blush, he was sure she hadn't meant the threat she had screamed at him earlier. "Want to switch?" Sakura asked. Lee smiled and gently placed the child he was holding into Sakura's right arm, carefully taking the other one in his arms. It started laughing a little as he picked it up.

"What are you going to name them?" Tsunade asked. She was happy too but was sure the amount of joy she felt didn't measure up to what Lee and Sakura felt right now. And she was extremely curious as to what they would name their children. Sakura thought about this for a second when an idea hit her. She leaned in to Lee's ear, whispering something in it, awaiting his approval. Lee's eyes went wide for a second, as he scanned his wife, still all tired, and without any strength left, her eyes shining in pure happiness. He nodded, smiling and turned back to Tsunade.

"The one Sakura is holding…" he started, referring to the baby with beautiful green eyes and the tiny pluck of black hair. "…is Aidan. And the one I'm holding…" he gazed into those dark eyes, smiling as he saw the same joy he knew lingered in his own eyes. This child was the true essence of youth indeed. "We will call Neji."

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Finally, the children are born. What do you think, huh? What do you think? Oh please, tell me what you think!!! (Heheh, I wrote this chapter Wednesday because I'm gone with school all Thursday, this way I'm sure it's finished and ready to be uploaded) so please for my trouble, review? "grin"


	64. To get installed

Hello everyone! Man, I'm sick today! I've got a very small flu. Ever noticed how your fingers are the only thing not hurting when you have the flu? Which is why I can still type. By first, reviewers…

RaeVenn: Hahaha, yeah, yay to you

Gothic Saku-chan: Alrighty, here's the update!

Strawberry Sakura-chan: well, look what the cat dragged in. I'm glad you liked it, but I think you missed a tad more then 5 chapters. No worries there, though.

Animelover5.6: One of your favourites? Great, mission accomplished after 63 chapters. Oh, and you'll get over it. I'm sure.

Bobalu: You would? "gasp" that's so mean! Heheh, oh well…

Vesper Chan: Yeah, well I have great plans, and they didn't include a girl. Welcome back!

Evilsnoopy: Thank you so much!

The Rogue Stallion: Thanks, I'm glad you do.

NinjaMuffins: Yeah, poor nurse. Sakura can be quite scary.

Panther eyes: Aw, don't cry! Heheh, poor Neji indeed.

The ruby wolf: Really? How many chapters did you need to catch up to? Welcome back.

Magical Kitty: explode with cuteness? "ducks" ew! Glad you liked it.

Honeyflower15: I'm so glad! Well, here's the update. Have fun!

**And that's that. Must finish this quickly so I can collapse on my bed before training starts (wouldn't miss it for the world)**

**On with it!**

_**To get installed**_

Sakura and Lee were both calmly walking home. Sakura could be released from the hospital after a mere few days, and now she was happy to be back on her feet, able to do whatever she wanted to do yet again. Her belly had reduced to the size it used to have and she felt light as a feather. She couldn't be happier to have her children out of her womb. Her back had stopped hurting too. And she could even wear normal clothes again!

Lee was holding Aidan who was snoozing against his chest cutely. And Sakura was holding Neji, the child with the deep, dark eyes her husband too possessed. It was pulling long strands of Sakura's hair, intrigued by the colour. But he didn't have enough force to hurt Sakura and she just giggled at his attempt to hold her hair in his little palm. She looked at Lee who was clearly enjoying the child in his arms. He was so fit to be a father, it couldn't be more right.

A few people had congratulated them on their way home, but very few of them were actually friends, they were more like… neighbours they barely knew. Nonetheless, everyone seemed to be happy for the couple. And finally, they got home. Lee carefully handed Aidan to Sakura and grabbed the keys in his pocket Sakura had given to him. After all, he still needed to get home during the time she was in the hospital.

He unlocked the door and graciously opened it for Sakura to enter. Lee now took Neji from Sakura, smiling as it giggled a little. It seemed this one was full of energy and…yes…youthfulness. Lee tickled his nose lightly, liking how soft his skin felt. He was as careful as he could be with the child. After all, every time he took them, and held them, it almost seemed as if they would break. They were so extremely small!

They went upstairs and put the two children in their beds. Sakura had received numerous gifts from all of her friends on a baby shower, and Sakura had been happy with every single one of them. They had all been useful and terribly cute. Sakura sighed happily as she watched the two babies snuggle up slowly underneath their little sheets. They seemed to be so very tired. And that was only natural. It was already dark out.

"I can't believe it, Lee." Sakura whispered. Lee put his arm around her shoulders, smiling at her. "Look what we created." Sakura continued, snuggling up into Lee's arms. "Aren't they beautiful?" Lee chuckled. "Naturally, they are, my angel." He responded. "You are their mother after all." Sakura blushed and smiled. "I'm sure their handsome father has got something to do with it as well, though." She commented. Lee blushed. He didn't respond though. He simply stroked away Sakura's hair and kissed her playfully on the nose.

"Let us go to bed." He said. Sakura widened her eyes. "Lee, I just got out of that stupid hospital bed." She commented. "I really don't…" but her sentence was cut off by a big yawn. Lee chuckled. "Sakura, you can sometimes be so very…" he thought it over for a moment. "…youthful!" Sakura smiled. "Alright silly, we'll go to sleep." She agreed, sighing in defeat. And still wrapped into Lee's arms, they went out of the room and into the next one, now made into the master bedroom.

Sakura actually fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, and Lee snuggled up besides her. He loved the warmth she emanated, providing him warmth every single night. He put her arms around her waist, able to make his hands meet again. The 9 months were over. The last few had been especially difficult for Sakura, and so, Lee was glad that was over. But the result it had produced couldn't have been more beautiful…more…magical. He simply adored the two children asleep in the next room right now. And he head so many plans for them. He would teach them the skills of taijutsu as soon as they were capable of learning said art. But if Sakura would agree to that, he wasn't quite sure off.

Lee too finally fell asleep, and so they slept on, until, in the middle of the night, the cry of a baby disturbed their sleep, followed by another cry. Sakura immediately sat herself upright but Lee pushed her back into the bed. "I will go check up on them." He said. "You can stay asleep, do not worry." Sakura smiled at him gratefully and obliged to his request. Lee got up and walked out of the room, and into the next one, immediately finding both of his children wide awake.

He picked both of them up and walked around the room, rocking them gently, humming a soft tune. Lucky for him, this actually worked, and soon, the two children were fast asleep. He put them down into the bed again, very gently so he wouldn't wake them up, and went back to his wife who was fast asleep herself. He snuggled up besides her, closing his eyes in blissful comfort until a few hours later…cries yet again filled the room, and Lee once more got up, flatly refusing Sakura's offer to go this time.

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About a year later, nothing much had changed. The children had grown though, they had grown a lot and kept making less and less noise. There were even nights in which both Lee and Sakura could sleep without being disturbed. The two boys had started making noises that made absolutely no sense, but every time they did, Lee spouted that they said some kind of nonsense word, Sakura knew they didn't say. Oh, how many times Lee hadn't announced that one of the two children had suddenly started spreading the word youthful.

Lee was in the backyard, sitting on his heels, with Sakura on the other side of said yard, holding Aidan by his little hands. His little, chubby legs were supporting him bravely, and were aching to try and walk on their own. After Sakura finally brought up the courage, she gently released Aidan's tiny little hands, Lee starting to make cute noises, and signalling for the child to come to him. Aidan took a step…and another one… and another one after that. And no matter how sluggishly he went, he still reached Lee, walking straight into his open arms, Lee cooing happily, patting the child bravely on his head.

His big green eyes had gotten even clearer, and his head now supported a giant bush of cute black locks, not nearly as…nicely…trimmed as Lee's. Aidan sat down onto the grass, tired of what he just had to do and played with the ticklish green plants underneath him. Sakura was now holding onto Neji who was once again giggling happily. The child was a sunshine itself. It was very weird, but he had started growing darkish red hair…almost like a combination of Lee's black and Sakura's pink. But it was a handsome red, and Sakura had absolutely adored the colour when she first saw it. She had been so happy. His big, dark eyes were staring cutely at Lee.

"Are you ready, Neji?" Sakura asked, the child answering with a sound not even Lee could make a word off. Sakura released Neji too, watching how Lee once more started acting silly, the child only seeming to enjoy it. Neji too took a bold step, and another one, but with the third, shaky step, he fell forward, Lee's lightning fast speed, keeping the kid from hitting the ground just in time. Neji simply laughed at this. Lee was glad he wasn't too shaken up. "That is alright, we will try again later." He told Neji, not even sure if he understood him.

"It's only normal." Sakura commented, walking up to Lee. "Some children are faster then others." Lee nodded. "And Aidan is exceedingly fast, do you not think so?" Sakura nodded. Lee was right. Aidan had seemed to catch on to everything a lot faster then his brother. Already, even though Sakura decided not to tell Lee this, she could see the child would grow up to be a true genius. She played a little with Neji's ear. No matter. This child was a strong one too, always seeming to catch up with his brother in the nick of time.

"Sakura." Lee's voice sounded stern all of a sudden. Sakura blinked at him as she stopped playing with Neji who seemed to be pouting. Lee had went to pick up Aidan too. "What?" she asked, not sure of what was going on this time. "What happened to your hands?" Sakura quickly glanced at her hands and blushed as she threw her sleeves over the bandaged hands. "Nothing, really." She said, acting as if he had seen nothing. Lee sighed. "Sakura, what are you doing? You seem to be…sneaking out at times….why?"

Sakura sighed. Lee had found out? How sharp was he? She decided to better tell him before he got an idea in his head that would prove to be entirely wrong. "I was training." Sakura responded, showing her hands again. "I simply…wanted to develop my own taijutsu skills a bit too." She didn't dare to glance at Lee. "It won't be long before you start teaching Neji and Aidan Taijutsu and they might even prove to be better then me in the long run, so I simply wanted to get better."

Lee lifted Sakura's chin gently with his won bandaged hand. "You do not need to hurt yourself like this." He said. "If you truly wish to get better, I will help, and I promise to not be…clumsy with you anymore." He smiled a genuine smile. "You scared me, you know." He said. Sakura smiled. "Tank you Lee, and I'm sorry." She said. She didn't doubt Lee one bit. Fine, she would give it another shot. She picked up Neji and tickled his nose as Lee patted Aidan's head again. Their children were really growing up…

…and yet…they didn't notice…the doom that was nearing them…yet again.

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And stop. Took me one hour. GOOD! I need to sleep now.

Please review while I'm out!


	65. Return

Man, I'm feeling even worse then yesterday, I can't even go to training! "whines" but I still will continue this story! Cha! Alright, reviewers…

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you! Actually, I slept well, thanks again.

Bobalu: Duck tape? Do you have any idea how much that hurts? Hahaha

RaeVenn: Yeah, cuties! What, you don't like doom?

Amber: Well, I play the rpg, dungeons and dragons with other people, and one of them named its character Aidan Reed, and I thought it was cool so I used it here. I don't think I'll kill anyone soon… but there are things worse then death you know…

Panther eyes: Yup, but which kind of danger?

Magical Kitty: Aaaw, they'll be fine! And yeah, doom is fun!

Honeyflower15: wow, using capitals eh? Well, if that is your request…alrighty then.

NinjaMuffins: I know! It sucks! And why now, when it's vacation? But thanks! Oh, and yup, learning to walk, now, for the doom.

**That's all of them! Now, to hurry up and write this chapter. I can't wait to reveal the doom and its cause to you!**

**On with it! **

_**Return**_

Sakura got up swiftly when she heard the sudden sound of the doorbell. Man, couldn't people leave them alone for one day? It always seemed like everyone was completely infatuated with their children's cuteness. "I will get it Sakura." Lee said, getting up as well but Sakura simply sighed and continued her way to the door. "I can open a door, Lee." She answered. It seemed Lee still had difficulties with accepting the fact that she wasn't pregnant anymore and that she could do normal stuff rather smoothly again.

Sakura opened the door to find the number one ninja at surprising people right there. The loudmouth and 'uncle' of their children. Naruto Uzumaki. "Well, hi Naruto." Sakura greeted as she stepped aside to let Naruto in. "How are you?" Naruto grinned his foxy smile. "I'm doing wonderful." He replied as he walked with Sakura to the children Lee was currently playing with. "And how is Hinata?" Sakura asked. "She's doing great." Naruto answered. "She's at home right now, but I'll go and visit her later on." Sakura nodded. "Good."

Naruto placed himself behind Lee who was on the ground and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey there bushy brows." He greeted, still using the mock nickname he had invented years ago. Sakura couldn't help but growl every time he used it, but Lee found it to be rather funny. "Hello Naruto." Lee greeted, smiling his trademark smile. "What brings you here?" he asked. Naruto scratched the back of his head slightly. "I kind of…er…well…" Lee chuckled. "You wanted to see Neji and Aidan, am I right?" he asked. Naruto smiled brightly. "Yeah!" he said enthusiastically.

Lee smiled, trusting the boy completely. He had proven to be quite good with children, as he was still kind of one himself. But it also seemed he had developed a sense of responsibility by being with the children. One that could only serve him for the better…if he was ever to have children with Hinata that is. He placed Neji next to Naruto and tickled him slightly before grabbing Sakura and pulling her into his arms. "Well Naruto, it seems to me that you have just volunteered to be a babysitter, right?" Naruto smiled. "Of course, Lee." He responded, the thought of being paid for the job not even crossing his mind. "You go have fun with Sakura." He said, reading his mind as he watched Aidan stand up on his chubby legs holding onto the table.

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What am I?

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Sakura contently accepted the arm Lee presented to her and snuggled up to him as they walked trough the city of Konoha. Naruto had been a great help to them. This was what always would happen. Naruto would stop by, look after the children, and Lee and Sakura would be able to go out and have fun. The first couple of times, Lee was never able to fully relax, always worried about his children, but he had long since then understood that Naruto would never let anything happen to them, and he could enjoy himself, sure that Aidan and Neji were safe. "So Sakura, where do you wish to go to?" Lee asked.

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Where am I?

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And so they walked to the park, happy to just be together. Sakura blinked as she suddenly felt something strange. She looked at Lee's hip to find a bottle of sake attached to his belt. Lee saw her watching it and blushed ferociously. "Why are you carrying this, Lee?" Sakura asked. Lee coughed. The truth was that he had found himself to be more capable to hold his liquor and he had continued his suiken training with Gai since the man completely healed up. "It is my secret weapon, Sakura." He responded. "But I have never had to use it yet." Sakura frowned. She thought Lee had started training in suiken again, seeing how he sometimes reeked off sake, but she had never asked him about it, trusting him. "I simply, do not want to happen again what happened… during our last battle." Lee sighed.

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What is my goal?

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They entered the park and went to sit at the lake, a few fountains spraying water all over the place. Seeing how it was summer, this could only prove to be refreshing as sometimes, a few drops hit the couple still very much in love. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?" Sakura asked Lee. Lee blinked and turned his head to her. Yes, he knew very well what she was talking about… and truly, he knew she was right. "I know that Sakura, as it was not yours either." He replied, knowing how the kunoichi still blamed herself at times. "The only one to blame is Ken." Sakura nodded. Of course, Lee was right.

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Right, I will go get her.

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Sakura took something out of the basket she had been carrying around, refusing to hand it to Lee when he had asked her to. She opened a small package to take out a few sandwiches. They had vegetable salad on them. She lifted one in front of Lee's mouth who opened his mouth happily. He really liked vegetable salad. He bit a piece from the sandwich and Sakura took a biter herself after. "Sakura, hunny!" a voice suddenly called out. Sakura turned her head to see Ino. Strangely, Shikamaru wasn't trailing behind her like usual.

"Hiya, Ino." She said, a little bit disappointed for her moment with Lee to be disturbed so quickly. Lee too turned his head to look at Ino, question in his eyes. The boy was always so very curious. Ino wasn't acting like her usual self…weird. She was sprinting towards the couple, and Sakura simply got up from the ground. "What's wrong, Ino?" she asked the blond. "Sakura…" she started, panting heavily as she stopped in front of the pink haired girl. "It's Shikamaru…" Sakura's eyes widened. "What's wrong with him?" she asked. "He's hurt." Ino responded. "He hurt himself during training, and he's bleeding really heavily."

"Training?" Lee asked. "Since when does Shikamaru train?" Ino looked dishevelled for a moment before turning herself to Sakura again. "I don't know what's gotten into him all of a sudden either." She responded. "But he's hurt, please, you must help me." Ino begged. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital?" Sakura asked. "He's too heavy for me, Sakura, you know that." Ino stated bluntly. Sakura frowned. She was acting really weird today. But anyone would be if their love was hurt, right? "Alright, I'll come with you." Sakura said. "I'll come too." Lee said.

"Actually…" Ino said. "Tenten wanted you to come over." "What?" Lee asked, astounded. "When did she say that?" Ino shrugged dramatically. "I was asking her if she knew where you guys were." Ino explained. "But she didn't know. She said that if I found you though, she wanted me to ask you to go to her. She said she needs you urgently." Lee nodded understandably. "Alright." He said. He would do anything to be of service to her. After all, she was still rather sad because of the loss of Neji. "Do not overdo it, alright, Sakura?" Lee asked. Sakura nodded. "Alright Lee."

Lee ran off while Ino and Sakura ran off in the other direction. Ino was still running pretty hard. Since when did she have this much stamina? They ran and ran, until they finally arrived at training ground 1, where Ino had last seen Shikamaru. But when they got there, no one was there. "Where is he?" Sakura asked. Ino pointed to a tree. "I hid him over there, so no enemy nin would be able to find him." Sakura blinked. Enemy ninja? In the hidden village of Konoha itself? How paranoid was Ino really?

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Finally, Lee arrived at Tenten's door, ringing the doorbell without a display of patience. Finally, Tenten opened the door, looking at Lee as if he was a fool. "What's up with you, Lee?" she asked, staring at the crazy, young ninja, out of breath. Lee blinked. "Did you not…wish to…see me... Tenten?" Lee asked, surprised. Tenten blinked. "Er… no, not…really." She said, wondering what Lee had eaten that morning. Lee's harsh breathing stopped all of a sudden.

"Bu, did Ino not ask you where I was?" he asked urgently. Tenten shook her head. "I haven't seen Ino today, Lee." She explained, wondering what was wrong. Lee growled and turned around. "Excuse me Tenten, but I must leave." He said, running off again. Tenten watched him leave and closed the door when he was out of sight again. She could only wonder about what was wrong this time.

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Sakura stared at Ino as if she was crazy. "Ino, what are you doing?" Ino had pinned her to a tree with a force Sakura knew she couldn't possess. Ino grinned. "I'm not Ino, stupid girl." She responded. And in a puff off smoke, the body of the blond female disappeared to reveal Sakura's worst nightmare. "Remember me?" he asked, grinning liked mad.

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Ooh, who could it be? Who could it be? Please review and you might find out… you probably will anyways though.


	66. Red

"drags herself to the computer." Must… write… next… chapter! Yup, still sick as you can guess but… it wouldn't stop Lee either would it? Alright, reviewers.

The Rogue Stallion: You truly think so? Well…who knows.

Magical Kitty: Well, seeing who you chose, I must say you're bad at guessing. Haha

Sakurafan207: Aw, glad you still do. Here it is.

Panther eyes: who indeed?

Bobalu: hahaha, you do? By experience? "grin" well, you'll find out now.

KankurosBandGeek2010: I'm so sorry! OMG! Yesterday, I put next chapter on and I didn't notice you had reviewed me! I was too late! I'm so sorry! I wonder why people are expecting Itachi though…

Gothic Saku-chan: thank you, and here's the update you asked for.

The ruby wolf: 20? Did it take you long to read? Well…glad you caught up.

Animelover5.6: Well… you'll see. Don't worry, at least you review.

Amber: Ahaha, you'll find out now.

RaeVenn: Haha, I second that thought! Well… you'll see.

**And that's all of them! Yayness, I appreciate your reviews a lot now people. In desperate times… (is exaggerating extremely) **

**On with it!!!**

_**Red**_

"S-Sasuke." Sakura stammered. Why hadn't she seen this coming? And where had he been all this time? Where? Sasuke didn't have his sharingan activated yet. "I saw you were acting all snugly with bushy brows ." Sasuke growled. "Why don't you two just get married?" it almost seemed as if he was angry. And not the evil kind of angry, but the… jealous kind, the hurting kind. Sakura blinked. Even though she was rather scared of the Uchiha in front of her, she couldn't believe how clueless the boy seemed to be.

"But we are married, Sasuke." Sakura spat, as if wanting to hurt him with words of venom. Poisoning him to the bone so he would wither away and die, just like he deserved. Sasuke seemed equally disorientated as Sakura. He mumbled something to himself Sakura dared not ask him to repeat. "How old are you?" Sasuke asked Sakura. Now this was the weirdest question ever. Sakura had not – not even in a million years – expected him to ask her that in all seriousness. "Seventeen, nearing eighteen." Sakura responded nonetheless.

"Then, I suppose it is the same for me." Sasuke mumbled, not asking Sakura the question. He released Sakura from the grasp he was holding her in and she stumbled backwards. What was wrong with him? Sasuke widened his eyes a bit as he saw how Sakura stumbled away from him. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked in disbelief. Sakura stopped walking away and stared at Sasuke as if he was mad. "You don't think I should be?" she asked enraged. Sasuke dropped his hands and smiled a bitter smile.

"I know you won't believe me, Sakura." Sasuke started. "But I want to tell at least someone." He sat himself down onto the grass and threw his pouch with kunai and shuriken a few feet farther away. "I remember that I came back to this village." Sasuke said. Sakura was simply still standing there, ready to attack at any moment if necessary. Sasuke ignored this. "I wasn't back for even a day when… all of a sudden, everything went black." He looked up at Sakura who clearly didn't know what to make of all of this.

"I didn't think it lasted long…" Sasuke continued. "I though I was out for 3 days or so, but when I woke…" he grabbed some grass with his right hand . "… I felt, or knew… nothing. It almost seemed as if I was dead… or simply not alive. I didn't know who I was anymore, what I wanted. I was lost." He scanned the area as if searching for someone. "When I came back after my long disappearance… you were the only one who believed me." Sasuke continued. "Which is why I came to search for you."

He once more scanned the area. What was making him so nervous? "But then I saw… Lee, and I knew that he could mess up the only chance I had so… I transformed into what once was your best friend, luring you with me." He sighed. "It worked, and I told you my story. Now for the rest, it will all be up to you." He let the grass he was holding fly away. "I still don't know why you're afraid of me though." Sasuke added. "But if I did anything to hurt you, I'm sorry." Sakura simply stood there.

"Do not believe his lies, Sakura." A voice suddenly called out. If the situation hadn't been so very… awkward, Sakura would've laughed with Lee's appearance. He was sweaty, out of breath, his clothes were completely out of order, his headband dreaded to fall off any second now and his hair was stuck to his face. Sakura had rarely seen him like that. Eventually, Lee came to stand in front of Sakura protectively. Sakura could only hope he wouldn't faint any second now seeing how out of breath he really was.

"Er…Lee… are you okay?" Sakura asked. Lee didn't respond, probably still catching his breath. Sasuke slowly got up from the ground, making no attempts whatsoever to attack anyone. Lee glared trough the Uchiha's firm eyes, not at all defied by his cocky attitude. "You have had more chances then you deserve." Lee said. "How dare you suddenly come back and ask for one more." Sasuke didn't answer. All that changed was that his eyes gained a pained expression, directed to the ground within seconds.

"I… don't know." He finally responded. "I don't know what I did, I truly don't." Now this was a sight. The Uchiha practically begging for mercy from the hot-blooded dropout himself. But Lee wasn't in a merciful mood. "Me and Sakura finally built up a life together." He said in a dangerous voice. "We are married, we have children, and even though our first house got destroyed…" He glared suspiciously at Sasuke with saying this. "We now live in a beautiful home together. We are happy, so why come and ruin our lives?"

Sasuke stared at Lee. Ruin their lives eh? "You both fear my presence that much?" he asked. He looked Sakura in the eye. "Once more, Sakura, I don't know what I did to you… but don't you think that – even if their was the slightest chance that I've been manipulated somehow into doing whatever – I deserve a chance? One that I'm aware of?" He glared back at Lee, sensing that the boy was now so furious that he was able to kill him on the spot. And he really didn't want that right now.

Sakura put a hand on Lee's shoulder, leaning forward to whisper something in his ear. "Tsunade is sure to see whether or not he has been acting the way he had because of someone else." She told Konoha's green beast. "And if she senses that he is lying, she can still take care of him then." Lee didn't seem to be able to make a decision. "Sakura, I do not want him to hurt you again." He spoke loudly. Sasuke took a small step back as if not having expected the sudden outburst.

Sakura sighed heavily and took something from her pouch. "We'll tie him up with this, for now." Sakura said, showing the black woman's hair to Lee. Every ninja knew there was hardly any material stronger then hair. Lee nodded, understanding completely. "We'll take him to Tsunade immediately…" Sakura continued, hoping Lee wouldn't suddenly burst and jump the Uchiha to kill him anyways. "…and we'll await her judgement, right there, alright?" Lee still seemed to find problem.

"I feel like I cannot be sure of our children's safety with him around." Lee said, gesturing towards the Uchiha. Sakura sighed. "Lee… if you don't want it, he won't even see them." Lee sighed. "And what about you?" he asked quietly. "If he is lying, he might still come after you." Sakura let out a very shaky sigh. "I would feel bad if he was telling the truth, while we refuse to believe him." Lee looked back at Sasuke who was awaiting their decision patiently. "Fine." Lee said. And he took the hair from Sakura, tying Sasuke's hands with them, extremely firm, Sasuke never even wincing.

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I'm going to cut this short now. I'm out of energy. And I have no idea where this came from! I mean…WTH?! But oh well, do you guys think you could review for my trouble? I really have done my best to drag myself down the stairs you know. "grins" pretty please?


	67. Decisions

Well howdy! I feel better now but that might be because my mum drugged me with all kinds of medicine possible. "sigh" it tastes so gross. Anyways…

Animelover5.6: You don't believe him? Well… we'll see if you are right to distrust him.

RaeVenn: Very good question. Who knows? (even I don't… not really.)

RamenFreakGaara: he's walking around the house or yard somewhere. "grin"

Amber: well… perhaps not. Not going to tell you too much though.

Bobalu: Yup, you were right. Thank you.

The ruby wolf: Hahaha, thank you. I'm glad you took the time. Here's the next update!

Honeyflower15: Talk about capitals. Haha. Well… lucky for you, I update every day.

Vesper chan: Poor you! I usually have blisters on my feet, but I remember getting them from the swing when I was younger…they hurt more then feet-blisters. Hahaha, alright, alright.

Gothic Saku-chan: Yeah, you can never be too sure with my stories. "grin"

NinjaMuffins: er… no… am I supposed to pay it? But thank you, I'm sure I'll be all better by tomorrow… or I at least hope so. Perhaps you'll find out now.

The Rogue Stallion: Shocked? Wow, sorry. Heh, why does everyone call Sasuke an emo?

Magical Kitty: You're one of the few who does then. Good

Panther eyes: I have no idea do you expect him to do something to the children?

**And that's all of them! Yay! Thank you all for your kind words. Nyahahaha. Heh, I just went and read the first chapters for research and saw that I wanted to call it quits around chapter 20, and now look where I am! So funny! Anyways…**

**On with it!**

_**Decisions**_

"Hokage-sama, may I have a word with you?" Lee asked, his eyes never leaving the Uchiha, sitting in a chair in a corner of the office, his hands still bound. Sakura was in the far other corner. Tsunade had examined Sasuke and was just about to tell the three teenagers in her office what exactly she had found, when Lee had felt the need to interrupt her. Tsunade eyed him a bit confused but finally sighed in defeat. "Fine Lee, what is it?" she asked. Lee motioned for her to go talk in the hallway with him, and she accepted.

Sakura stared a bit awkwardly at Lee when he suddenly asked Tsunade to talk about something, but she thought nothing too special off it. Her greatest concern of the moment was that she was alone in a room with the Uchiha she had grown to hate, and if he was telling the truth all along, she hated him for no reason at all. But would she ever grow to trust him again? "What happened to… Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked all of a sudden. This is when Sakura remembered Sasuke had told her he had killed the sannin, when he got to Konoha.

"Lee killed him." Sakura answered, looking at the Uchiha. "Something that can't be said of you." She added. It was true, either way, Sasuke had lied to her from the start. "I wasn't…" Sasuke started, almost unsure of what he was going to say. "I wasn't strong enough." He sighed. "I tried, but I ended up… running away." Dark orbs met green ones. "I couldn't kill him and I… was ashamed of that." He sighed and looked at his bound hands, apparently not even thinking of a way to set himself free.

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"What have you found Tsunade-sama?" Lee asked. He was scared of either outcome. If Sasuke was lying, what would happen? Lee would surely not be able to control himself. Right now, he'd rather see the Uchiha dead then alive, a feeling the boy was not really familiar with. Was this hate? But if Tsunade said that Sasuke was telling the truth, could they be sure of that? And would this mean that Sasuke would come back to the village? How could Lee even sleep, when knowing what he should worry about?

"Well Lee…" Tsunade sighed, knowing exactly what worries were plaguing Lee. "I have found various signs of hypnosis in his brains." She said. "Also… signs of…" she sighed once more. "torture." Lee gasped. This; he hadn't expected. "I don't think Sasuke is telling the entire truth." Tsunade said. "No one would torture his own puppet unless… that puppet got out of control at times." She crossed her arms. "And that would mean that at small moments, Sasuke knew exactly what was going on."

She looked back at Lee. "He wasn't entirely clueless but… he must have his reasons for not telling you this. It doesn't change anything." Lee frowned. "Are you truly going to let him into our village without so much as a doubt?" he asked. "Can any enemy infiltrate Konoha so easily? Is that how it is?" his voice was getting a bit too loud now, and Tsunade shot him a glare. "Lee, listen to me." She hissed. "I'm worried as much as you are but would you leave him in the dark, knowing he spoke the truth?"

Lee glared right back at Tsunade, not fearing being rude at all. "The things he has done, cannot be turned into something less evil simply because he supposedly was controlled." He said. "And if he was, who knows if he is not still?" Tsunade slammed her hand against the wall, controlling herself not to punch a hole into it. "I am the best medic ninja here, Lee." She spoke loudly. "Don't you think I would've noticed if he was indeed still controlled? How blind do you think I am?"

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Sakura was a bit shaken up by the sudden bang. The entire room shuddered, and even Sasuke broke himself out of his trance to look around him in a slightly confused way. "Tsunade-sensei." Sakura growled. She knew very well how short fused the woman was, and she could only hope that Lee was alright. She had heard him raise his voice. But why? She looked at Sasuke to meet his eyes once more. Was he really telling the truth? She sighed. Was there really a way to know for sure?

"So, you're married." Sasuke suddenly said, starting a conversation. Sakura nodded absentmindedly. Perhaps she should be careful with the information she'd share with Sasuke at this point. Sasuke smiled. "And you've even gotten children." He continued. Sakura once more nodded. "What are their names?" Sasuke asked. Sakura wondered why he was starting a conversation all of a sudden. Was he really curious or was he simply trying to break the uncomfortable silence? "Aidan and Neji." She answered nonetheless.

"Neji?" Sasuke asked, blinking. "Why would you…" his question wasn't even finished when realization dawned on him. He hadn't been the number one rookie for nothing all those years back. "Did Neji…" "Yes." Sakura answered. "But don't mention it anymore." She continued. "If you have questions about it, please ask me, but…" she sighed sadly. "… a lot of people have trouble dealing with his… passing away." Sasuke nodded, once more directing his gaze at Sakura. "Sakura…" he started. "What did I do to you?"

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Lee stared at Tsunade. "So, you want me to keep an eye on him?" he asked. Tsunade nodded. "If Sasuke still is up to something…" she said. "Then it has something to do with Sakura." She turned her head to the door. "She can take care of herself, I've made sure of that." She glanced at Lee's bottle of sake before continuing. "But I feel much better knowing you're alert as well." Lee nodded. "Of course, Tsunade-sama." He chirped, happy that she didn't trust Sasuke completely either.

This would mean that somehow, Sasuke would be kept an eye on, and not only by him. There was an entire village of people who were sure to not trust Sasuke as quickly as others. And Tsunade was right. Sasuke was no match for Lee. He never had been and he never would be. After all, his techniques were useless against taijutsu… that is… if he didn't use any illusions. "Shall we go back inside, Lee?" Tsunade asked. "We'd better confront Sasuke right now." Lee nodded, wondering as well about the torture.

Lee and Tsunade entered the office once more to find Sasuke staring at Sakura in disbelief. Sakura was looking away, as if wanting to shield herself from his gaze. "Okay, what's going on?" Tsunade asked as both heads shot to her. Lee wasn't sure what to think of it either. "Nothing really, Tsunade-sensei." Sakura replied, smiling sweetly. Tsunade shook her head and came in further. Lee sat himself down next to Sakura and took her hand in his. "What's wrong?" he whispered. Sakura simply shook her head.

"Sasuke." Tsunade said, sternly facing the Uchiha. "I have decided to give you another chance… but only if you answer each and every question I am about to ask you truthfully." Sasuke nodded. "Good." Tsunade said, smiling. She sat herself down at her desk so she could watch not only Sasuke, but also Sakura and Lee. "I believe you have been hypnotized." Tsunade said. "As you might know?" Sasuke nodded. "But Sasuke…" Tsunade continued. "Have you never woken up out of your… trance?"

Sasuke gulped and looked at his feet. "Well?" Tsunade asked urgently. "Y-Yes." Sasuke stammered. "Then you know who controlled you?" Tsunade asked. Sasuke looked her in the eye, as if scanning her to see that if he would lie, she indeed would throw him out. He saw sheer seriousness. He nodded. "Aha." Tsunade said, with interest. She intertwined her fingers with each other and let her chin rest on her hands, her elbows on the desk. "Then, by all means, do tell us who it was." She asked.

It was clear that Sasuke felt as if he was being taunted. But he knew that he had no choice but to answer the question. "Itachi." He responded coldly. Even Tsunade seemed to be a bit taken aback by that. "That doesn't make any sense." She said. "You're lying." Sasuke looked at her boldly. "I'm not." He said. Tsunade sighed. "After you fled from Konoha, Itachi kidnapped Sakura." Tsunade said. "To lure you out." Sasuke shook his head. "Itachi never did a thing like that. I would've known, and it would be stupid too."

Tsunade frowned. It seemed even more questions were rising. Questions Sasuke would not be able to answer. She continued though. "Why were you tortured?" Sasuke looked away. "I tried to run." He said. Sakura's eyes widened. He was tortured? "And… he just liked doing that." Even Lee seemed to feel a slight bit compassion at this point. "Sadist." Was the word that managed to escape his lips. It went unheard though, by everyone but Sakura. Tsunade sighed. "I believe that will be all." She said.

Sasuke looked at her in confusion. Was it over already? He was happy to say the least, but still… Sakura squeezed Lee's hand a bit, feeling how he squeezed back. He was nice to have around indeed. She sighed and leaned against his chest, waiting for the verdict. "Sasuke, I will allow you to return to Konoha." Tsunade said. "But you will be watched constantly, you will need to come here every day at 18:00 hours to tell me about your progress and your actions during the day, and you will not do anything out of order.

She leaned a bit closer to Sasuke. "I mean it Sasuke, this is your last chance." She threatened. "And any sane person wouldn't even have given you this chance, but I… will believe you for now." She crossed her arms. "But if I ever get any complaint, even if it's simply about a fight between you and another citizen, I will have no choice but to throw you out of Konoha forever." Sasuke gulped. "yes, hokage-sama." He responded. He was in a very tight spot right now alright.

Sakura watched how Tsunade released Sasuke from his bounds as she leaned into Lee's chest, almost as if her body had a mind of its own. She almost expected Sasuke to turn into a monster as soon as he was released, but all he did was rub his wrists, a red line running across them. "Sakura…" Tsunade said, turning towards the kunoichi. "If you don't want him near you, simply say it and I will keep him from even talking to you." Sakura shook her head, smiling at the kindness of her sensei.

"That's not necessary Tsunade-sensei." She said. She felt Lee's arms wrap around her protectively, only making her feel even surer about herself. "I'm sure I'll be alright."

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There! This chapter is way longer then the previous one! I felt like I needed to make it longer to make it up to you lot. Also, I can, because I really do feel better. Yay! (still drugged, you know) Alright, please review, you guys!


	68. From loved one to stray

Grrr… can you believe it? I'm still sick! I'm getting so angry with myself! And now, I have an eye infection too! Stinkin' holiday-ruiners! "author gets dragged away"

**Lee**: **er… right, I'll answer the reviewers today!**

Animelover5.6: Well, I don't trust Sasuke either **"crosses arms"** Good!

The ruby wolf: I know, rather suspicious, don't you think? Sasuke is up to something **"cracks knuckles"** I'm sure of it!

RaeVenn: Interesting? It'll be the death of me!** "cries in agony"**

Honeyflower15: Hell no! Sasuke isn't going anywhere near my children! Not in this lifetime or the next one! Akemi? He's somewhere back home, probably sleeping.

Gothic Saku-chan: Hmm… you truly think it makes sense? **"thinks"** I still don't trust him.

Vesper Chan: "**author returns briefly"** well… **"pant"…** I don't know… **"pant"**… I guess I've got a lot of imagination and ideas. But it's also thanks to you guys. **"sees the FBI and flees" **Aargh!

Panther eyes: Let's go with part 2 then shall we? That bastard can't go near my blossom again! "glares"

Magical Kitty: No! We've lost this one! Please listen to me, Sasuke is evil! Evil I tell you! If you like him so much, take him away from my life! **"nice guy pose"** and thanks

NinjaMuffins: I have the same feeling with sake. Good question! Again, someone sees a hole in Sasuke's defence eh? You are sharp. Stay with me and **"whispers"** let me know if you see anything else suspicious. I just don't trust that guy.

**There's the one! He stole the last of the cheese! _"Author points finger at Lee who gulps and takes off, chased by men in black, sunglasses and all."_ Er hiya! _"blink"_ er…**

**On with it!**

_**From loved one to stray**_

Sakura sighed deeply. "I suppose we should leave." She said. Tsunade nodded. "You can go." But before Sakura and Lee got out, she grabbed Sakura's arm, pulling her a little bit closer. "Be careful." She whispered into her ear. Sakura nodded, smiling a true smile, as she grabbed Lee's arm a bit tighter. Lee gave Tsunade a reassuring nod, and so they left her office. Sasuke stayed behind, a bit unsure of what he was supposed to do next. "What are you still doing here?" Tsunade asked, a bit annoyed. She wanted to get some sleep.

Sasuke shrugged. "I wasn't sure if you still required something from me Hokage-sama." He said. Tsunade sighed, letting herself fall into her chair. "Right now, I wish nothing from you, Sasuke." She responded wearily. "You won't get any missions for a while and you will not be appointed back to your old team. We can't be sure if you can be trusted just yet." Sasuke nodded. "You are dismissed." Tsunade said, grabbing a paper thrown onto her desk a few hours earlier. Sasuke bowed respectfully and left.

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"Well… it seems things are starting to…get interesting." Sakura suddenly said, breaking the silence. Lee stopped. "Sakura, I am worried." He said. Sakura turned to see him shaking. "I am very, very worried." Sakura put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be Lee. Everything will be alright." She soothed. Lee let out a shaky sigh. "Sakura, I do not trust him." Lee said harshly, referring to the Uchiha. "Who knows what he is up to this time." Sakura rubbed his back, making tiny circles.

"He might be telling the truth, you know." She said. "He could've killed me back there, but he didn't." Lee growled. "If he did, I would have made sure that…" "Lee." Sakura interrupted. "He didn't." She kissed him softly, calming him down. "I'll be careful, alright?" Sakura tried. Lee nodded. "Alright." He agreed. Sakura could only hope that Lee wasn't going to limit her freedom because of this. "Hey forehead-girl!" someone suddenly shouted. "Ah." Sakura said softly, smiling. "Now, _that_ is Ino."

"Hey Ino-pig!" she responded equally loud. Lee shook his head. How could they like being called those things? "Hey, Shikamaru." Sakura greeted as soon as she saw the boy trail lazily behind a somewhat perky Ino. He simply waved his hand. "Yo." He responded, not even making eye-contact. Lee would've said something about the way the ninja was acting towards Sakura but Sakura kept him from doing just that by pinching his arm. Shikamaru was simply like that. "I hear you saw me today." Ino said.

Sakura smiled innocently. "Well, it wasn't really you…" she said. "It was someone else taking your appearance." Ino blinked. "Who?" she asked. Sakura wasn't sure if she should tell her yet. Everyone knew that Ino too was ready to kill Sasuke should she ever encounter him again. Her love had transformed itself into true hate. "Me." A voice suddenly growled. Sakura jumped a bit, Lee turning around rapidly, ready to take on anything thrown at him. But nothing was really all that offending.

Sasuke was simply standing there, his hands in his pockets, his dark eyes scanning the group of 4 people. Shikamaru slowly grabbed Ino's hand. Sure, this could get interesting, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to see Sasuke beaten up by Ino, or worse, the other way around. "What are you doing here?" Ino growled lowly. Sasuke blinked at her reaction. "I'm really hated around these parts aren't I?" he asked surprised. Ino laughed bitterly. "Well, what did you expect, you snake." She spat.

Shikamaru simply held his hand in front of Ino's mouth now, not wanting to hear her provoke the Uchiha even more. Sasuke wasn't amused to say the least, but he didn't seem to really want to harm anyone at this point. "He's her on one last chance." Sakura explained. "Sasuke was being controlled by someone it would seem." She explained. Ino snorted and Shikamaru swiftly drew back his hand in disgust. "And you believe him?" she screeched. "Of all people, he must've hurt you the most." Sakura sighed.

"I trust the hokage when she says something." Sakura replied simply. "And she found signs of hypnoses." Ino looked back at Sasuke who was simply staring at his feet. "I do not trust him either." Lee said. "But I will make sure he does no more harm to Sakura." Ino nodded, clearly thinking of it as a good thing. Shikamaru was no longer amazed by the appearance of the Uchiha and was already lazily looking up to meet the clouds passing by. "Only time will tell who was right." He said, tugging Ino's arm. He wanted to go home.

When Ino and Shikamaru were gone, Lee turned himself fully to Sasuke once more. He had also noticed that Sakura was scared to fully turn her back his way. But who could blame her? "Why are you following us?" Lee asked. "I simply got out of the office too and heard you talking about me." He said, shrugging. "I thought I perhaps could start out with gaining some trust." Lee growled. "You are very far away from gaining my trust Sasuke." Lee spat. Sakura was kind of feeling like a third wheel. Not allowed into the conversation.

Sasuke sighed angrily. "Look, it's not my fault. I can't help it alright?" Lee growled, questions in his head needing to be asked. "If what you say is true…" he said in a low voice. "… then why would Itachi kidnap Sakura…to lure _you_ out." He let out the part of how Itachi really wanted to lure him out. It was all too complicated. Sasuke sighed deeply. "I succeeded in escaping one time and one time only." He said. "but Itachi still found me." He glanced at Lee. "He was pretty much beaten up though."

Lee still didn't know what to believe. "I never attempted another escape after that." Sasuke said. "And why is that?" Lee asked. Sakura – who was almost sure of what was to come next - would rather not have the answer to that. Sasuke turned around and lifted his shirt. His back was scarred with many whiplashes, sure to never be healed again. Some of the skin still looked infected and others seemed fresher then most. "That's why." Sasuke said. "Don't worry." He said, turning around again. "I'll win your trust yet."

Lee eyes him suspiciously and pulled Sakura hastily with him, leaving Sasuke to stand there. "He is so suspicious." Lee said, looking back over his shoulder every now and then. "lee please…" Sakura begged, not sure what she was pleading for. "The story still doesn't fit." Lee said. "Why would Itachi ever order him to inflict damage on you?" Lee asked hastily. They turned into another street, rid of the Uchiha's gaze. "Lee, please let go." Sakura said. Lee blinked, and stopped, but he did as he was told.

"What is wrong, Sakura?" he asked. "You, that's what." Sakura responded. "You're acting all snappy and weird, just because of Sasuke." She sighed. "If he is going to stay in this village, are you really going to be this tense all day, all the time?" Lee opened his mouth to answer, but found that his brain couldn't produce a response. "I thought so." Sakura said, smiling. Lee hung his shoulders, giving in. She took his hand gently, caressing his palm with her thumb. "Let's go home." She said. Lee simply nodded.

"Do you not think he will cause a panic?" Lee asked suddenly. Sakura blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean, that if someone suddenly sees him, will they not try to harm him?" Sakura shook her head. "I'm sure Tsunade-sensei already saw to it, that that won't happen." She responded. "But I do wonder if he's going to be alright." she added. Lee opened the door to their house and held it open for Sakura. "What do you mean?" he asked. "He has absolutely no one's trust." Sakura said simply.

"He will wander trough Konoha, people simply ignoring him. And he will grow into someone more arrogant and alone then he was when I first met him." Lee blinked. It was clear that he didn't feel any compassion towards the Uchiha. "I just think it's sad." Sakura sighed. "If he is telling the truth that is. Ah, Naruto!" She found Naruto sitting on the ground, playing with Aidan and Neji. Akemi was wagging its tail, the now big dog, jumping on Naruto every now and then, its spirit still very much young.

"Welcome back." Naruto chirped. He put down the big blue dinosaur he had been holding, Aidan immediately grabbing the plush. Neji was enjoying his own little red plush of a duck. He got up from the ground, Akemi almost tackling him down again. He seemed to be dirty. "Naruto, did you let Akemi in the yard?" Sakura asked. "Well, yeah." Naruto answered. Sakura sighed. And she had just given that dog a bath. "So, did anything happen?" asked Naruto, who noticed the grim expression on Lee's face.

"Well… yeah." Sakura responded. "It's Sasuke, he's… well… back." Naruto remained silent, simply staring at Sakura, probably trying to see if she was joking. "Why?" he finally managed. "Why would he be here?" Sakura shrugged. "He said that he was being controlled." She picked up Neji who started playing with her long hair. "And Tsunade-sensei says she believes that he's telling the truth. He has been given one more chance." Naruto seemed to not be sure how to react. But what else could he do but believe his team-mate?

"Are you okay with this, Sakura?" Naruto asked, knowing just how harsh Sasuke had been against her. "Much more okay then Lee." Sakura responded, chuckling somewhat. Naruto grinned. "Good, then I will invite him to come sleep with me!" Sakura's eyes widened for a bit. "I can watch him that way." Naruto explained, winking at Lee. Lee simply smiled. Naruto could sometimes be so… supporting and carefree. "Thank you, Naruto." Lee said, bowing a little bit. This resulted in Akemi jumping him too.

Lee fell a bit backwards, right onto the ground, resulting in Sakura starting to laugh hard. Neji, who was still in her arms, slightly giggled at this. It seemed everything was going to be fine now. Now there was only one problem left. And that was the Akatsuki, who wanted to give Gai one more shot. One more, and that's it. And if they lost… it would mean the end of Sakura too. She glanced at Lee who picked up Aidan right before Akemi could playfully tackle him. They should continue training soon.

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(Lee runs by, panting hard) "blink" Lee, did you run this entire time? (Lee trips and the men in black jump on him as if they were an American football team.) Give us back the cheese!

Er… Right. Why don't you lovely people just review eh? (eats a hump of cheese.)


	69. Chu vs Jou

"**A black box is seen in a clearing with Lee guarding it."** Sorry people! Apparently I'm contagious! **"The box gets tackled by the men in black force. Lee runs off screaming."**

**Sakura**: **"blinks"** Er… I guess I will have to answer your reviews now.

Honeyflower15: I don't know what will happen to me **"twitches"** But Lee will save me. **"sees** **him run by"** or at least… I hope so.

Animelover5.6: Well… I don't know what's wrong with Lee but I still think we should give Sasuke a chance. It's not like it's his fault, right? Cha!

RaeVenn: Since no one tried to kill me or Lee this time, I must agree! Thanks! Cha!

Bobalu: **"blinks" **wow, what vivid descriptions. Aaw, when Lee goes grr, he's cute, don't you think so? **"Lee gets tackled by an MIB"** er… okay.

Magical Kitty: Yeah, Lee is cute when he does that. I'll give you a kiss. **"kiss" **And yay, at least someone who gives Sasuke a chance. **"bows"** domo arigatou gozaimasu.

The ruby wolf: Well, I don't trust him… yet, but I give him a chance. **"smiles"**

NinjaMuffins: **"shakes her head"** cheese? That's dangerous. "**Sees how an MIB heard her."** Er… Lee's right…. There! **"points in a random direction. MIB scurries off."** Thank you! And Akatsuki will go down! CHA!

Azuka knight: Yeah, poor Sasuke… I feel sorry for him too. **"blink"** master? Really?

Vesper Chan: Well yeah, didn't you hear Ken say? When Gai looses next time, he'll kill me too, remember now? Uh-oh… **"Sees how Lee cries big anime tears."** How dare you!

Panther eyes: I don't know. Only time will tell eh? Well, the cheese thing… I'm not sure off either. **"smiles innocently while eating some leftover cheese."**

The Rogue Stallion: Well, Naruto is simply like that. **"vein pops out of head."** He's such a pervert! But it also depends on how the reader implies it. Barbarians? Er… Lee! Help!

"**Sakura runs off towards Lee who has left some very tired MIB behind."** Let's get out of here. It's way too weird. **"Lee nods"** author: No! Don't leave me here!

**On with it**

_**Chu VS Jou**_

"Say Tenten, do you think that you could watch after Aidan and Neji today?" Lee asked. Tenten blinked as she saw Sakura and Lee standing there, their babies in their arms. "Doesn't Naruto normally do that?" she asked, taking Aidan out of Lee's arms nonetheless. "Sasuke is currently staying with him." Lee growled. "And I do not…" "And we think it would be best if we left those two alone for now." Sakura stepped in. Tenten smiled sweetly. "Alright then, no problem." She said, taking Neji as well.

"Thank you so much Tenten." Sakura said happily. Tenten nodded. She seemed to be much happier these days. Good. Lee and Sakura had been worried about her for a very long time. "Bye." She said and closed the door. Sakura and Lee turned around to go to the training grounds. They had an appointment there. Lee was carrying his sword with him. He seemed to be thinking about something. "A penny for your thoughts." Sakura said sweetly. Lee turned his head to look at Sakura, a bit surprised.

"Oh, nothing important." Lee answered smiling. "I was simply thinking about the way certain things have started developing lately." Sakura nodded understandably. Sasuke had a long way to go before Lee would ever believe him it would seem. She grabbed his hand that seemed extremely cold. "You have warm hands." Lee said all of a sudden. Sakura blushed. They finally arrived at their destination, seeing the two figures of the people they had expected to find there. They turned to watch them arrive.

"Good morning Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura and Lee greeted. "I'm glad to find you on time today, sensei." Sakura teased. Kakashi simply coughed. "Ah, that is because I reminded him of his youth!" Gai yelled happily. "I made him meet the sun and its radiance and enjoy what is left off life!" Kakashi groaned. "Let's just say, he woke me up early." He said. "Yelling so loud that I can hear it inside, how evil is that?" he asked. Sakura simply giggled. "Well, I appreciate it, sensei." She said.

"So, I understand you wish us to train you." Gai said all of a sudden, excitement shining in his eyes, a big goofy grin plastered on his face. "That is correct." Lee said, his excitement equal to that of his sensei's. Kakashi sighed. "Why do you need more training, Sakura?" he asked. "Your chakra manipulation is better then that of most ninja, and especially mine." Sakura smiled sweetly at him. "That's not what I need to be trained on." She explained. "It's my taijutsu that needs improvement."

"Then why didn't you just ask Lee?" Kakashi asked curiously. "He needs to be trained as well." Sakura answered. "With his sword." Kakashi turned to look at the blue sword Lee was holding. "I see." He said. "Then I see how it has to be." He sighed deeply. "Gai." He called out. Gai turned to look at him. "What is it my esteemed rival?" he asked a bit too happy for this early in the morning. "We'll have to switch students." Kakashi said. Sakura wasn't surprised. She had kind of expected this already.

"You are right, Kakashi." Gai answered honestly. "Be careful with my number one student, though." He joked. Kakashi sighed as if this was all way too much trouble, but he nodded anyways, just so Gai would get off his back. "Be careful, Sakura." Kakashi warned, knowing how far Gai's excitement could take him. He could knock around Lee al he wanted to, but not Sakura. Sakura just smiled though. "I'll be alright sensei, she said." And so both of them went to stand far from each other, their sensei's facing them.

"Well Sakura, let's get started." Gai announced happily. Sakura was sure that Kakashi had heard him as well, even though she could barely see him. She smiled. This sensei was way too childlike, but that was no problem. Gai crossed his arm and stood there mockingly. "Come at me with all you've got." He said. Sakura blinked. "I can't do that, sensei." She said. "I could kill you." Gai smirked. "Only if you can hit me." He said. "For now, let's see if you're capable of doing that." Sakura nodded.

She felt like she was being made fun off, but oh well… she would show him. She dashed forward and tried hitting Gai, but he moved aside simply. "Keep up your defence when you hit someone." He said before coming with a strike of his own. Sakura blocked it with her lower arm. Gai jumped back, waiting for the next attack. "Don't block with your arm." He said. "You go easy on the enemy when you do that. Block with your fist." Sakura nodded. "Now try again." Gai said.

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"How long have you been training with that sword?" Kakashi asked. "About a year." Lee said. Kakashi nodded. "Alright, before we do anything, let me see how you strike." Lee nodded. He took the heft of his sword with the right hand first and the left hand below, his little finger supporting the heft. He lifted the sword and was about to strike when Kakashi stopped him. "Lee, you're making a rookie mistake." He said. "Which is only natural when you train against air all the time."

He guided Lee's arms a bit higher into the ground. "Don't block your vision with your arms, Lee. That's just stupid." Lee nodded. "Alright, now strike." Lee took a step forward and struck an imaginary foe. Kakashi sighed. "You're killing your own technique, Lee." He said. Lee was getting a bit frustrated already. "Why?" he asked. "You use too much force. Lend me your sword for a minute, alright?" Lee handed the sword to Kakashi who lifted it. It became red as soon as he touched it, but Kakashi ignored it.

"Use your left hand to guide the gravity trough the sword." Kakashi explained. "Just let it fall." He demonstrated this. "And at the last moment, you use the right hand to give you that extra bit of power, and also to stop the sword where you want it to stop." He handed the sword back to Lee. "Now, try again."

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"No, no, you move too much." Gai said, stopping Sakura once more. "You know that you have tree Axis', right?" Gai asked. Sakura, being the smart girl she was, nodded. Of course she knew. "You have the y-axis…" Gai demonstrated by going to the right. "You have the x-axis…" Gai continued, now going backwards. "And you have the z-axis." This he demonstrated by lifting up his right leg and making himself tall, then plunging the lifted foot onto the ground with great force.

"Use these tree lines to move upon." Gai explained. Sakura grinned. She was learning so much right now, it was fun! Gai got into an attack pose again. "Alright, ready?" he asked. Sakura nodded. Gai moved forward and tried hitting Sakura but she stepped aside, grabbed Gai's arm, plunged her hand onto his elbow, turned so her back was facing his front, put his elbow on her shoulder and slightly bent forward, pulling Gai over her shoulder. Gai rolled forward as soon as he hit the ground and got up again.

"Good job." He praised. Sakura simply smiled. He once more thrusted his fist forward, pushing Sakura backwards a bit. She couldn't keep her balance and fell backwards, landing onto her back. "Don't just drop yourself." Gai said. "Roll if you have to, bit if you stay on the ground, the enemy will surely kill you." He offered his hand and Sakura took it. Gai pulled her upright again and smiled. "You're making great progress though."

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"Accuracy is very important, Lee." Kakashi said. Lee nodded. "I know that Kakashi-sensei." He said. Kakashi huffed. "Sasuke, come out if you will." He suddenly said. Lee was surprised and angry to suddenly see Sasuke emerge from the forest. "What is he doing here?" Lee asked angrily. "I was curious." Sasuke said, not at all intimidated by Lee. Kakashi sighed. "Well, either way, your timing is great." Lee blinked. What did he mean by that? "You've been trained with the sword, right?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Yes." He answered. "And I take it you've mastered it?" he asked again. Sasuke nodded once more. "I haven't." Kakashi sighed. "Which means that I'll let you fight Lee, Sasuke, alright?" no response came. Lee was simply glaring at Sasuke and Sasuke was probably thinking up an excuse so he wouldn't have to go. "I didn't bring my sword." Sasuke said. "I brought an extra one." Kakashi said, somewhat smiling, presenting Sasuke with a sword that seemed to be old, but strong.

"You're not allowed to kill each other, am I making myself clear?" Kakashi said. Sasuke immediately nodded but it took Lee a little bit longer to agree. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that, but he didn't say anything. "Begin." He said. Sasuke carefully took the sword in both of his hands. He put his right foot forward, the front pointing towards Lee and put his left foot behind the right in a fair distance. He brought the sword close to his left hip, the tip visible behind him. His right hand was ready to draw, his left holding the heft firmly.

Lee wasn't familiar with this stance, but he didn't care. Sasuke would go down either way. He took his own attack stance and simply put the sword in front of him, the tip pointing to Sasuke's heart, his arms stretched but relaxed. He wasn't allowed to kill him, alright. But he wouldn't loose, even if the Uchiha was a master of the sword. He waited for Sasuke to attack, the boy bending a bit trough his knees. And then, Sasuke drew his sword, the distance he had created used to slash greatly and strongly, the step he took with the slash providing even more speed.

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"**A man in black comes towards you, his nose almost pressed against the screen."** Do _you _have any cheese? **"Is kicked away by the author." **Leave my readers alone, you big bully! Well er… please review?


	70. Gaining trust

You see a bunch of MIB chase a rabbit who happens to be tied to a piece of cheese. In the background, Lee and Sakura sneak behind some bushes. The author is… nowhere.

Sasuke: **"grins"** I guess it's my turn now.

The ruby wolf: excuse me, but my skills are far better then Lee's. If anything,_ I_ might accidentally kill _him_! **"growls"** that's right.

RaeVenn: I'm sorry, just having fun. Does it bother you?

The Rogue Stallion: I must totally agree with you there! But beware, it's contagious!

Azuka knight: **"blinks"** death? Well… er… I can take him! **"grabs his sword"**

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you, thank you, it's all because**_ I_** have returned.

Honeyflower15: Lee isn't going to do anything to me!_ I_ am the better one! Doesn't anyone get that? **"crosses arms furiously."**

Amber: I don't understand the way my brother thinks. But don't worry, I'm sure all will be revealed later on, though I must comment you on your smartness.

Panther eyes: Really? **"smiles evilly." **Yo! MIB, get your ass here! **"MIB arrives" **Go ahead.

KankurosBandGeek2010: **"MIB turn like a bunch of zombies"** Cheese… CHEESE!

NinjaMuffins: **"One MIB covers ears and starts crying."** Not true, you lie! It does exist! **"Sasuke kicks him."**

Magical Kitty: **"A bunny steals away your cheese, two MIB chase it."** I'll win, don't worry. **"Ignores ruckus in the background." **I _am_ an Uchiha after all.

Bobalu: Yeah, Lee is evil. Do you all see now? Evil! **"points finger at Lee, running from a bunny with cheese."** EVIL!

Van the Key of Lain: **"thinks"** well… the eggs you can give to _me_… want to trade them?

Vesper Chan: "**A bunch of bunnies tackle you, and Lee runs off with the cheese. Sasuke** **simply laughs at you."** Train a bit harder, I should say. **"Lee tackles a random MIB"**

"**Author pops up from a tree-costume, eating a hump of cheese."** Enjoy! **"winks"**

**On with it!**

_**Gaining trust**_

Lee never saw it coming. He raised his sword in what he thought was a good defence but closed his eyes as if on reflex, almost expecting to be hit. After a few seconds, he heard someone sigh and wearily opened one eye. He immediately widened his eyes and took a step backwards. Sasuke's sword had been mere inches away from his face, Lee's own sword, far away from hitting Sasuke. The block had not been successful. "Kakashi…" Sasuke started, dropping his sword. "… how am I supposed to train him? He doesn't even know the basics yet."

Kakashi sighed once more. "Lee, why did you close your eyes?" he asked wearily. Lee frowned. He really did seem like a rookie in front of Sasuke, even though he had done his best for about a year. Why did it all seem to be in vain, now? "It was a reflex, sir." Lee answered. Sasuke was meanwhile examining the sword he was holding. "It was a reflex because you knew his slash would get trough." Kakashi said. Lee dared not argue. He just hung his head. "Though I must say…" Sasuke started again.

"His attack stance was an impressive one." He never averted his eyes from his own sword. "I was not able to attack anywhere close to his chest. His legs were able to get away fast, without the danger of him cutting himself, which left me only with the choice of his head." He stroked the sword with his index finger, his eyes widening a bit as his finger was cut. "Kakashi, did you give me a cutting sword?" he asked in surprise. Lee was meanwhile engulfed in a surprise of his own.

Had Sasuke just complimented him? Though this didn't take away the bloodlust he felt, whenever near the Uchiha, it did lessen the feeling, and for some reason, the compliment had given him some hope. He knew he wasn't a genius, and the same was probably true for the arts of the sword, but he would once again achieve a great level simply by training harder then anyone else. "I thought this was a good way to test your trustworthiness." Kakashi answered Sasuke's question. "Now continue."

Sasuke smiled just a little bit. So perhaps the village really did want to believe him. He now took the attack stance Lee had taken a while ago. The tip of his sword was pointed to his legs. "What do you most certainly not want to do, right now Lee?" Sasuke asked, as if a teacher himself. Kakashi simply watched in interest, his eye peeking at his book every now and then. Lee wondered what Sasuke was talking about. He grasped his sword with both hands, wondering where he should attack next, and then it dawned on him.

"I do not wish to attack your lower body parts." Lee said. "Because your sword awaits mine, right there." Sasuke nodded. He put his sword a bit higher, the tip pointing towards Lee's heart. "And now?" he asked. Lee almost laughed. This seemed way too easy all of a sudden. "I do not wish to attack your waistline." He said. The same went for the head. "At least you understand something." Sasuke said. Lee wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment, but he didn't expect too much from the Uchiha.

"Attack me." Sasuke ordered, now holding the sword in a regular manner. Lee didn't need to be told twice, and he charged for Sasuke's head, as he had done with Lee mere moments ago. Sasuke simply raised the length of the sword, supporting it entirely by the heft, Lee's sword slipping off his because of the strength he had used. Sasuke turned, and brought the sword to Lee's neck, stopping just in time. "Not good enough." Sasuke said. He withdrew his sword and took a few steps back.

Lee didn't know what was more frustrating. The fact that Sasuke had blocked his attack so easily, while he had almost been killed, or that he was actually losing against Sasuke. Sasuke sighed and dropped his sword again. "You know Lee, I thought you were a master at taijutsu?" he asked. Lee glared at him, as if daring him to doubt about that." Yes, I am." He answered cockily. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his attitude but decided to not say anything about it.

"Well, working with weapons is brought forth out of Taijutsu." Sasuke explained matter-of-factly. "Taijutsu is the entire basis of weapon skills. If your taijutsu sucks, you can get nowhere with weapons." Lee raised an eyebrow at this. What did he mean. Was this a trick, or was he really right? "Let me demonstrate." Sasuke said. He put his sword down onto the ground and motioned for Lee to do the same. "I will attack you with a punch now." He said, as if warning him. Lee was not at all scared.

He tried to punch Lee, but he merely stepped aside, placing his hand onto Sasuke's hand swiftly, guiding him with Sasuke's own force used against him to collide with the ground. Sasuke swiftly got up and tried kicking Lee against his legs, but Lee simply jumped and dashed forward, hitting Sasuke in the stomach. "Stop!" Sasuke almost yelled. Kakashi simply shook his head. Sasuke really was only trying to help, but fighting a taijutsu match against Lee was something he himself would never dare.

"Pick up your sword." Sasuke now ordered with much difficulty. He seemed to have been taken aback a bit by the blow Lee just delivered him, and Lee couldn't help but feel at least a little bit guilty. "Now I do the same." Sasuke said, gathering his strength once more. He dashed forward with the sword, Lee already in his attack stance. "Do the exact same." Sasuke ordered before he tried to connect his sword. Lee did as he was told and stepped aside. He let Sasuke collide with the ground one more, and drew his own sword.

He would've been able to slash it across Sasuke's back if he hadn't jumped backwards at the last second, once more attempting to kick Lee against his feet. Lee jumped up and held his sword above his head, ready to let it come down as he did. Sasuke raised his sword at the last moment, able to deflect Lee's attack that surely would've killed him. "Good." He complimented, breathing hard. "Much better." Lee drew back his sword, and Sasuke did the same, getting up from the ground again.

"Now Lee, you must understand that you can't train with a sword as you have with taijutsu." Sasuke said. "A sword is fragile. If you hit a tree with it more then 50 times, it'll break, or it will be damaged a lot." Lee nodded. He knew Sasuke was right. "That is also why you must try and avoid enemy sword attacks rather then deflecting them." He showed his own sword that was indeed damaged a bit. "So if you wish to train, I suggest a wooden sword." Sasuke said. He glanced at Kakashi who nodded. It was a good idea.

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"You learn really quick." Gai commented, holding his red cheek. "I'm thankful you didn't use your chakra." Sakura smiled innocently. "Lee would never forgive me if I had done that, Gai-sensei." Sakura stated simply. Gai laughed at this. "Now, let's run 200 laps around the training grounds." He said. Sakura blinked. "Oh really, Gai-sensei, I would really rather not." Sakura responded. "Perhaps we could go and see how Lee is faring?" Gai simply smiled at this. "No need to Sakura." He answered.

"I'm sure that Kakashi is taking very good care of him." Sakura sighed. She knew this too, but that's not what she meant. "Gai-sensei, I really can't run like that." She said. Gai sighed. "Oh well… then I will make Lee run laps with me later on." He gave Sakura a nice guy pose like never seen before, and Sakura simply sighed. She knew that Lee would be more then happy to, the poor boy. "She looked over at the spot where she knew Lee and Kakashi had gone to, only to find a third person right there.

"Gai-sensei, do you see who that is?" Sakura asked, pointing at the black dot, slashing away at the shape she knew that was Lee. It wasn't Kakashi because her sensei was taller then Lee. But this person was shorter. He seemed to be very skilled though. Gai narrowed his eyes, to get a better look at the shapes. But he too didn't really see. "Let's go find out." He suggested and started running in all his youthfulness. Sakura sighed, deciding she at least could run that far. And so she kept up with Gai, with much difficulty.

It didn't take too long before Sakura saw who was fighting Lee. It was Sasuke! She couldn't believe it. Had the Uchiha faltered again? She watched how Sasuke used his speed to disappear away from Lee's sword, only to appear behind him again, ready to strike. "Lee, behind you!" Sakura screeched. Sasuke stopped to look at her in surprise, and was too late to suddenly notice how a sword was mere inches away from his nose. "I win." Lee said, smiling. Sasuke sighed. "Now that was really a lucky strike." He said.

"Good job though." He turned to Sakura who clearly had no idea of what was going on. "Sakura please don't disturb us like that next time." He said in a casual tone. "Unless you want people to get hurt." He backed away from the sword Lee had still forgotten to withdraw. He did though, when he saw Sasuke move away from him. "Training with sharp weapons takes concentration, you know." He put away his sword and turned to look at Kakashi. "So, what do you think, Kakashi?" he asked.

Kakashi got up, closing his book and putting it away again. "Lee has improved a lot." Kakashi commented. "And all thanks to you, Sasuke." Sasuke smiled. Sakura still wasn't sure when or how exactly Sasuke had shown up, but she felt stupid for freaking out earlier. Stupid and a bit guilty, for suspecting Sasuke that quickly. Gai smiled. "I knew it. My pupil is number one after all." He said, giving Lee a big thumbs up. Lee smiled back at him, his grudge against Sasuke now depleted to a minimum.

"And Sasuke…" Kakashi continued, gaining the full attention of the Uchiha. "I think you have proven that you can be trusted now." He said, smiling. "You have had numerous chances to kill Lee." He explained. "But even in your eyes, I saw that you never had the urge to do so." Kakashi smiled at him. "So congratulations for gaining my trust." Sasuke's eyes widened for a second before he smiled a little, bowing to his sensei. "Thanks, Kakashi." He said. Lee sighed. He still didn't trust the Uchiha, but… he didn't want to kill him anymore either.

He looked at Sakura who seemed to be dirty, a little bit of blood on her clothes here and there, a smile decorating her face. And suddenly he felt the feeling you get when summer begins again. He got the feeling that soon, the good, warm days would start again.

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"**Sasuke picks up the 7th bunny, putting it in his backpack, gathering the cheese. Lee is slumped onto the ground somewhere, MIB-people trying to crawl into holes from the bunnies. One of them has grabbed hold of some cheese. Sakura steals it away from him and runs. Author in a tree-suit, jumps by and stops for a second."** Please review people! **"continues on her very slow way."**

Do you find it annoying when I do such stupid things before and after the chapter? Because if so, I'll stop it. "grins sheepishly."

The tips I'm giving for fighting are real, and not made up. Just so you know. Heheh.


	71. Let's see what you've got

**You see cheese in mousetraps everywhere. Lee got his hand stuck in one and is currently trying to get it off. Sasuke and Sakura are backed against a wall, facing a bunny.**

Kakashi: **"sighs"** I guess it's my turn now.

The ruby wolf: Er… **"waves awkwardly." **Hi… I suppose.

Gothic Saku-chan: Thank you

Honeyflower15: Two words. Calm. Down. Now sit and learn.

Vesper Chan: Yes. I saw something in his eyes**. "Claps after you get the cheese."**

Azuka knight: Well, of course. I gave him some very good pointers.

Animelover5.6: Hey, nothing against _my_ student alright? Lee just needs to work harder.

Bobalu: I don't know. It'll happen soon enough. **"Eyes a rock that just grabbed some cheese suspiciously."**

NinjaMuffins: Nah, he's fine right now. **"Avoids a spoon thrown at you."**

Magical Kitty: **"coughs"** do you know about your split personality?

Panther eyes: Hmm.. **"nods."** Right, I can't wait for the next lesson.

RaeVenn-Chan: Alrighty then**. "Throws some random cheese at random people."**

**The author crawls into a time-machine, avoiding some blue cheese.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Let's see what you've got**_

Sasuke grabbed a towel he had brought and wiped his face with it. He looked at Lee who had walked over to Sakura again. He smirked. It seemed those two never left each other alone. He threw down his towel and let himself fall backwards. So perhaps it was something for Shikamaru to look at the clouds but he liked to do that at times too. He listened to Gai's boasting and Kakashi's sighing. He listened to Lee's rambling about Sakura and he felt, no, he knew, that he was home again.

"So, how did it go?" Sakura asked, handing Lee a battle of water. Lee took it gratefully, gulping down half of it in a matter of seconds. Sparring against Sasuke was not only difficult, it was stressful too. "It went fairly well." He said. He heard Sasuke snort in the grass but chose to ignore it. Sakura on the other hand directed her gaze to the lazy Uchiha. "Ah, so the famous Sasuke Uchiha thinks otherwise." She mocked, laughing. Sasuke lifted his head for a split second to look at the kunoichi.

She was staring down at him as if they were best friends again. What was wrong with that girl? Lee on the other hand still seemed to have that very healthy discomfort around him. At least someone knew not to trust people too soon. Not that it mattered. He would come to trust him in time. He sighed and looked back at Sakura. "He catches on quick but you must understand that he's far below my level." He explained. "What are you being so lazy for anyways?" Sakura asked teasingly.

Sasuke simply let himself fall back in the grass, choosing to ignore the last question. He wanted to be left alone for a bit. Had people forgotten how grumpy he was before? Well, he was even worse now. "Sakura is right, you know." Kakashi suddenly said. Sasuke groaned. He could almost predict what would come next. "I suggest that you go run laps with Sakura and Lee." Before he could protest, Sakura did. "You can't be serious!" she begged. "Kakashi-sensei, I don't like running laps!"

Kakashi shrugged. "You were the one who said that we shouldn't be lazy, Sakura." He scolded. "Besides, it'll do you good." Sakura pouted. "I highly doubt that." She responded. Kakashi sighed. "There is no harm in building up some stamina. I mean, look at Lee…besides." And he winked at Sakura as if sharing a secret with her. "… it does wonders for your chakra." Sakura growled. "Tell me something I don't know." Gai laughed. "Right! And meanwhile I and Kakashi will have another struggle!"

Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him upright. "Come on sloth, if I've got to run, so do you." She said. Sasuke, who was slightly amazed by her strength, averted his eyes to the ground, really not wanting to run. Lee smiled. "Come on Sakura, I am sure that you will enjoy this." Sakura sighed. "Kakashi-sensei, how many do we need to run?" she whined. "Just run for 2 hours and count your rounds." Kakashi answered. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" he suddenly said, a dog emerging from the ground.

"Pakkun will be here to see if you're actually running." He explained. "And if you don't, you will be punished." Sakura sighed. She knew that Kakashi's punishments were always somewhat weird, but she didn't like them anyhow. "Let's get started." She mumbled, and took off next to Lee. Kakashi pushed Sasuke harshly in his back to make him start running. "Enjoy your youth!" Gai yelled after them. And then the two jounin simply disappeared in a puff of smoke, ready for their next challenge.

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"Come on Sakura, faster." Lee urged. Sakura slapped him semi-playfully. "Lee please, don't push me." She said. She was already tired and they hadn't even begun yet. She simply despised running. Lee on the other hand seemed to be holding back tremendously, almost looking as if he was taking a walk trough the park. His breath hadn't even begun to fasten, and his long legs – able to take great strides – barely needed to skip to keep up with Sakura. And Sakura was getting annoyed by this.

"Lee, just go on if you're so bored." Sakura said with difficulty. "There's no training for you this way." Lee nodded, smiling as if he was happy that he had been set free, glanced one last time at Sasuke who was also already out of breath, and decided to go run the laps at his pace. And so he rushed off, barely a dot in the distance after a few seconds, nowhere to be seen another second later. "Thanks a lot." Came the sudden voice of Sasuke. Sakura turned her head slightly to see him glaring at her.

She almost laughed at his childishness. "For what?" she asked, not sure what he was being so mad about. "Because of you, I have to run laps." He spat. Sakura sighed. She was stuck with the grumpy one again. She couldn't believe that she used to crave moments as these. "Hey, I'm running right along with you, here." She stated, showing that Sasuke wasn't the only one suffering. Suddenly, a flash of green past them by, and Sakura was sure that she had heard a faint 'hi'. She simply sighed.

"But that was your own fault." Sasuke continued, as if destined to make this training session hard on Sakura. "You just needed to drag me down with you." Sakura ran a hand trough her sweaty hair, getting rid of the locks blocking her vision. "A little training will do you good, Sasuke." She huffed. "Do you mean anything by that?" Sasuke asked, raising his voice slightly. Sakura simply giggled, or tried to do so. Being out of breath didn't help with that. "Nothing at all Sasuke." She responded. "Nothing at all."

Once more, that flash of green past them happily, bestowing upon the two brave runners a wind that was very welcome indeed. "Man, how does Lee do this?" Sasuke asked. Sakura knew it was more to himself then to her, so she didn't answer. She had wondered that herself, many times. She and Sasuke hadn't even run one lap so far, but how many Lee had ran, she wasn't sure off anymore. She had seen him pass quite some times already. "Can't we just call it quits?" Sasuke suddenly whined.

Sakura looked over her shoulder to see that the Uchiha indeed was struggling. If possible, even more then her even. Poor boy. She laughed and was about to answer when she felt her foot slip on a rock. She almost hit the ground with her face, but she felt a strong arm tug her back to safety. She turned her head to look in the dark eyes of Sasuke. "Watch where you're going." He said his breath still heavy. Sakura knew nothing to say back to him.

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My time-machine doesn't work! **"Author hits the buttons as blue bunnies tackle the machine, some being squashed as it topples over."** Help!

1) I'm sorry, this chapter isn't so long, but I have a very bad headache. I even thought of the option not to write a chapter today! How dare I? Well, enjoy anyways.


	72. I still don't trust you

**warning! Spoiler** OMG! I just read the last part of the manga I could read and Sasuke stabbed Orochimaru! It's true people! **end spoiler** sorry, just had to say that.

"**The time-machine explodes as do a few MIB. Kakashi steals porn from one."**

Lee: Hi people, I'll reply to your youthful messages!

Animelover5.6: **"backs away slowly"** er… thanks, but I'm Sakura's.

Panther eyes: **"blinks" **You can actually_ throw_ Sasuke? With or without his approval?

Gothic Saku-chan: Yosh! Thank you! **"Sneaks over to some cheese."**

The Rogue Stallion: Weird? **"pouts."** Stop saying I'm weird!

Honeyflower15: **"growls" **friends? How… so? **"runs off"**

Bobalu: Indeed he is! Man, can't even run a few laps.

Magical Kitty: Running is very youthful and… SAKURA IS MINE!!! **"cries"**

Vesper Chan: I will, I will! Er… from what now? **"blinks"**

T owens: See what now? I'm completely clueless! **Author**: Inspiration? Really?

"**Author climbs onto the back of an MIB and scans the area."** Great, now where will I find my superfluxelator? **"sighs desperately."**

On with it!!!

_**I still don't trust you**_

Sakura scanned the situation. She was leaning back while Sasuke was holding her with his arm around her waist as if they were in the middle of a dance. Both of them were breathing heavily because they had run quite a bit. Sakura saw a blush creep up into Sasuke's face and knew this was bad. She placed her right foot a little bit further behind her so she would have support and then shook the arm off with her hands. Sasuke let her go and ran a hand trough his hair. Sakura simply sighed.

"Why have you stopped running?" a voice suddenly asked. Sakura looked up to see Lee standing there, not at all tired. She envied his stamina, but knew he had worked hard for it. "Sakura was clumsy enough to fall." Sasuke simply replied, as if this was a good enough reason. Lee's worried eyes immediately shot to Sakura who simply rolled her own green ones. "I'm fine Lee." She sighed. "Sasuke caught me." Lee looked back at Sasuke who still had a faint blush on his cheeks. His eyes narrowed a bit.

"Just watch out in the future." He said before starting to run again, hesitant at first, but then disappearing out of sight. "A little bit overprotective, isn't he?" Sasuke said, stretching his leg. "He just doesn't trust you." Sakura said matter-of-factly, starting to run again. She really didn't want to get in trouble with Kakashi. "And do you?" Came Sasuke's voice as a reply. Sakura turned her head slightly to see that he had started running again as well. But she doubted that it was out of fear of Kakashi.

"I think I do." She softly said. "But I'm not sure. I want to though." She heard Sasuke sigh, not sure if it was because of the energy he was putting into this training, or because of her reply. Either way, they didn't say much more during their two hours of running. Every now and then, Lee would stop next to them as if to see if nothing else had happened, but every time he found nothing and continued on his way. Sakura couldn't help but feel being spied upon, and it bothered her.

"And stop." Sakura almost fell backwards because of the sudden appearance before her, but kept herself from doing so because she knew a certain someone would catch her again. "Kakashi-sensei." She heaved. She really was out of breath, and was sure that her face was completely red by now. Sasuke was in equally bad shape as her, she knew. "And how many laps did you complete?" Kakashi asked, reading his book. "12" Sakura responded. Actually, she wasn't really sure. It was something like that.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke to find him nod in agreement. Both had run 12 laps. Well, it wasn't _that_ bad. Then all of a sudden, the now very familiar green blur stopped besides Sakura and Sasuke and in front of Kakashi. He seemed to be a little bit out of breath but recovered very quickly. "And how many laps did you run?" Kakashi asked, not at all curious for the result. "584, sir." Lee replied enthusiastically. Sakura and Sasuke simply gaped at him. "You're a monster." Sasuke joked. Lee didn't take it that way though.

He sent Sasuke a glare only he himself could rival, and Sasuke couldn't help but feel at least a little bit scared. He didn't show it though. "Geez, sorry." He said, averting his gaze. Kakashi couldn't help but frown at the tense situation. When Sasuke and Lee had been sparring, everything had been just fine. Perhaps it had something to do with Sakura. They slouched back to where they had left their stuff, not even wondering where Gai had gone to. Sakura quickly went for her bottle of water, gulping it down.

Lee didn't seem to feel the need to drink anything. "Can we go home now?" he asked Kakashi. It was clear that he wanted to get away from Sasuke as soon as he could. Sakura wondered if he was jealous. "Yes, you can go." Kakashi answered. "I'll see you back tomorrow, right?" Sakura looked at Lee who nodded and agreed as well. They left after that, Sakura waving at Sasuke before they did, not even getting a response out of him. Oh well, she was used to that anyways.

As Sakura and Lee walked over to Tenten's house, Sakura could feel that the silence between them was a discomforting one. She didn't want to do anything against it though. Finally, they arrived, and Sakura hastily rang the doorbell. It took a few seconds, but eventually, they heard a bit of stumbling, and then Tenten opened the door. "Hey guys!" she greeted happily as she saw who had arrived. "Did you come to pick up the children?" she asked. Lee simply nodded, Tenten raising an eyebrow at that.

She went back inside the house nonetheless, coming back with Neji and Aidan soon after. Lee and Sakura both picked one up, thanked Tenten and went on their way again. As they walked on, Sakura looked at Aidan and smiled as she saw he had already fallen asleep. She couldn't help but give him a small kiss on his little nose. He was simply so cute. She heard a weird sound come from Lee, as if he wanted to say something, as soon as she did, but when she looked at him she found he had looked away.

What was up with that boy? Honestly?! But finally, they got home, Sakura opening the door and quickly getting in. She had enough of the silence and decided to turn on the radio. Not too loud though, for she could wake Aidan otherwise. Lee simply put Neji on the couch, still not saying a word. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Sakura finally decided to ask. Lee growled something that Sakura found impossible to understand. "And now in English please?" she asked mockingly. Lee looked up at her.

"I don't trust Sasuke." He said. Sakura sighed. "Fine." She responded. "That is your every right, but do you_ have_ to be so cold towards _me_ for it?" Lee seemed to narrow his eyes for a bit, but the change was so slight, that Sakura wasn't sure. "Just what happened between you two earlier on, huh?" Lee suddenly blurted out. Sakura's eyes widened for a bit. Just what was he getting at? "Nothing at all." She snapped. "What makes you think something did?" Lee let himself fall into the couch.

"Because your beloved _Sasuke_ was all flustered when I stopped running for a bit." Lee explained. Sakura felt her heart twinge a bit. So, Lee was really picking a fight over this? She would have to see if he trusted her or not. "What he said was true." Sakura simply said. "I almost fell down and he caught me in time." She crossed her arms. "It's not my fault that he… likes me , you know." Lee was fidgeting, annoying Sakura. "You are right." He responded. "It is not."

"But…" he added. "For that reason, I wish for you to stay away from him whenever possible." Sakura's eyes widened a lot at this. "How dare you?!" she shouted. "I never avoided _you_, back when we were children, did I?" she continued. "How would_ you_ have felt?!" Lee seemed unfazed by her answer. "I would never have hurt you Sakura!" he shouted back at her. Sakura was so taken aback by him raising his voice that she didn't respond. "I cannot trust Sasuke to do the same."

"I trust him." Sakura said softly. "Isn't that enough?" Lee sighed. "I wish it was." He said. "But I have to be sure myself. The last time you gave him another chance, he simply hurt you again." Now, Sakura narrowed her eyes. So he actually blamed her for that? Would that one mistake haunt her forever? "Lee, sometimes, you're just too…" she started. "Too what?" Lee urged. "Go on." Sakura threw her hands in the air as if in mock despair. "Never mind." She said, a bit aggravated.

She grabbed her coat and opened the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder stop her. "Where are you going?" Lee asked. "I just have to be away for a while." Sakura responded without turning around. "Please let me go." Lee did as he was told but kept his place behind her. "Will you be alright?" he asked. Sakura sighed. "Yes Lee, I'll be alright. Just… look after Neji and Aidan, will you?" She stepped aside without waiting for an answer, knowing that Lee would close the door eventually.

Ugh. The _nerve_ on that boy. Sometimes, he was simply _too _over-protective, and that could unnerve Sakura _so_ much! She just needed to be away from him right now. But seeing how she didn't want to be alone at the moment, she decided to visit a friend. She walked on as the sun shone on her, warming her hair. She didn't have that far to go though, and she was thankful for that. She didn't want to be_too_ far away. She walked up to a certain door and rand the doorbell, waiting until someone opened.

"What are you doing here?" someone asked. Sakura sighed.

"Hi Sasuke, may I come in?"

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Bleh, I still have a headache. Man, I hate being sick. **"eyes a strange looking bunny."** Hm… please review and… **"sees it hop by again"** … tell me what you… **"sees it eat an MIB**"… think**… "runs away."**


	73. You must understand

"**Author sits in a tree."** Man, I have this spring feeling! It's wonderful! It makes me feel all happy. **"Eyes Lee and tackles him, not letting go anymore"** Lee!

Sakura**: "sighs"** My turn again?

Animelover5.6: Hey! I can go to whoever I want! Besides… Sasuke isn't _that _bad.

Vesper Chan: No! I'm staying right here! And yeah! Sasuke kicked butt! Cha!

The ruby wolf: I guess he just… runs.

Bobalu: My point exactly! It's very annoying at times! **"growls deeply."**

RaeVenn-Chan: Hah, I figured as much

Gothic Saku-chan: I simply came here because… well… not gonna tell you!

Magical Kitty: **"thinks"** cheat on Lee with Sasuke? Hm… (Lee: oO)

KankurosBandGeek2010: You knew! Man, you know everything!

The Rogue Stallion: **"blink"** strange? You could say that Lee is strange, yes.

xoSweetEscape: Wow! Do you really think of me as_ that_ evil? Geez.

Panther eyes: I simply… wanted to, alright? **"sighs"** He's not evil you know.

NinjaMuffins: I'm not stupid you know? I know what I'm doing!** "smiles"** yeah, those bunnies are erm… weird.

"**author pushes Sakura away."** Alright, that was that! **"Steps on a bunny"** You people forgot one important thing! But you'll understand quite quickly.

On with it!

_**You must understand**_

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, not fully understanding what was going on. And to be honest, he didn't really need to know either. "That's none of your business, Sasuke. Is Naruto here?" Sakura asked, not in the mood to deal with Sasuke's grumpy nature at this point. But she was warned before. She was told that Sasuke was staying with Naruto so it simply was her bad luck that he opened the door. Sasuke said nothing and simply stepped aside, allowing the kunoichi to come inside. "Thanks." Sakura said.

She stepped further inside the messy house, frowning at the sight. Even now that Naruto was almost an adult, he still didn't find it necessary to clean up his room. And Sasuke didn't seem to do much to help around either. Sakura sighed. She just guessed that was how boys were. Messy. She heard how Sasuke closed the door behind here and invaded the house even further. She stepped around a huge pile of dirty clothing, neatly evaded some leftover ramen, not even bothering to wonder about leftovers.

She went into the living room to find that the couches were simply stacked with all kinds of junk, making it impossible for any normal person to sit there, without getting hurt because of some kunai or shuriken sticking out somewhere. She found what she was searching for right there though. On the ground, placed in front of a small closet, rummaging trough it as if searching for something, was the blond loudmouth known as Naruto. "Hey, Naruto!" Sakura greeted, stepping over a banana peel.

Naruto's head, shot upright, forgetting that he was inside a closet, banged his head harshly, started cursing rather loudly and aggressively, before finally retreating his head out of the closet, rubbing it in pain. He turned around to find who dared disturb him in his search. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the pink haired kunoichi standing there, simply waiting for him to say something. What was Sakura doing here? "What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, putting his thoughts into words.

"I'm staying here." Sakura stated matter-of-factly. Naruto sighed, smiling a bit. "You're staying here?" he asked. Sakura nodded. "With me?" Sakura nodded again. "And Sasuke?" Once more, Sakura repeated the action. Naruto came to a standing position, crossing his arms, looking down at the girl that was slightly shorter then him. "What happened?" he asked, his smile already faded. "Why don't you want to stay with Lee anymore?" If Sakura was holding something, she would've hit Naruto with it.

"Does that matter?" she asked. "You would leave me standing outside in the cold, rather then take me in?" Naruto smiled again. "It's quite warm outside you know." He replied. Sakura growled. "I won't let you visit Neji and Aidan anymore." She threatened. She didn't mean it though. Those children loved their 'uncle' and Naruto loved them. Sakura wasn't _that_ cruel. Naruto took the bait though. "I'm sorry, Sakura!" he said. "Of course, you're right, I'll let you stay here." Sakura smiled. Success.

Behind her, she heard someone snort. She turned around to find Sasuke standing there, smirking. "You actually let yourself be commanded by a girl?" he asked Naruto slyly. "How pathetic." Naruto sighed. "I can always throw _you_ back in the streets, Sasuke." He said, apparently not at all joking. Sasuke frowned. "Geez, I can't do anything right anymore." He complained. "Why are you all so damn distant towards me? It's not like I can't make a joke you know?" He knew very well why, though.

Naruto simply waved his comment away and turned back to Sakura. "You know I don't have a lot of room here." He said. He was still kind of hoping that she was joking or simply angry, and that she would go home later on. "Don't worry, I'll manage." Sakura responded, crashing Naruto's hopes. "Can I at least call Lee to tell him that you're here?" Naruto asked. Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Definitely not!" she argued. "He'll probably freak because I'm staying in the same house as Sasuke, and come to get me."

She crossed her arms and looked away from Naruto, almost as if she was a pouting kid. Naruto sighed and Sasuke wisely kept his mouth shut. "So, you've had a fight over Sasuke." Naruto said. Sakura raised her fist and slammed it down onto Naruto's head. "Stop digging for dirt, you moron!" she yelled. Sasuke laughed. It was almost as if their team was back to normal… almost. Sakura walked over to a couch and started to clean up the mess that was scattered upon it.

"Er… Sakura, you really don't need to do that." Naruto said, trying to stop her. He really didn't like it when someone else went trough his mess. Who knew what they could find. Sakura ignored him though and kept cleaning. Naruto eventually gave up on arguing and sat himself in front of the closet again, his head disappearing once more to look for the lost object. Sakura was just about to pick up a series of boxers when two other hands did. She looked up to find Sasuke throw them in the laundry basket.

She blinked. Was he actually helping her? Sasuke turned back to the couch, only to find Sakura staring at him. "Don't look so surprised." He growled, grabbing what seemed to be a squashed sandwich. "I can be nice sometimes." Sakura smiled and simply let him continue. She would accept his help for now. He could pick up whatever she found to be too gross to handle. And eventually, the couch was actually cleared. It stuck out. It was the only clean spot in the room. Well… almost clean.

Sakura grabbed a vacuum cleaner that seemed to be tossed in a corner years ago and got it to start. Finally, she got rid of the millions of crumbs and little unidentifiable pieces of whatever residing in the furniture. Sasuke watched this in amusement. "So you're going to stay in the couch." He said. "Isn't it obvious?" Sakura asked, bruising Sasuke's ego. Sasuke simply sneered. "You could have my bed if you just asked it nicely." Sakura looked up to meet his eyes. "No thank you." She replied.

"I can take care of myself perfectly." Sasuke simply crossed his arms and sat down in the couch. "Found it!" came a sudden shout, and once more, a certain blond banged his head rather harshly. He emerged seconds later with a plastic duck in his hand. He squeezed it to have it make a squeaking sound. "What do you need_ that_ for?" Sakura asked, frowning. "To take a bath, of course." Naruto stated matter-of-factly, raising a question at the obvious question. "What else?"

Sakura simply sighed and slouched down into the couch as well. "Whatever you say, Naruto." Sakura said, smiling a bit at him. And then, Naruto disappeared, going up the stairs, probably to take a bath." Sakura looked at Sasuke to find him staring at the couch next to him. "What's your problem?" Sakura asked, looking at the messy thing herself. "It's just that this place is such a huge pigsty." Sasuke answered, without even looking at her. Sakura giggled. "Then why don't you clean it up?" she suggested.

Sasuke turned his head to look at her. "Did you take a good look at this place? It's gruesome!" Sakura laughed. Since when was Sasuke so horrified by something like this. "Come on…" she said, getting up. "… I'll help you."

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Naruto was playing with the phone cord nervously, waiting for a certain someone to pick up the phone. "Hello?" came a sudden voice. Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, Lee? It's Naruto." Naruto said. "Oh, Naruto? What occasion makes you call me?" asked the other voice. "If it is Sakura that you need, she is not here." The voice sounded sad, and Naruto couldn't help but bite his lip. "No Lee, it's… that's why I'm calling." He replied. Oh, how he hated himself for doing this.

"Sakura is here with me." He said. The other side remained silent. "Lee?" Naruto asked, already uncertain about this. "Yes, sorry, Naruto. So she is with you?" Lee sounded very relieved. So he really didn't know where Sakura had gone to. "Is she alright?" Lee asked. Naruto smiled. He was always so very concerned. "Yes she is… she's kind of angry though." Naruto heard Lee sigh as a reply. "She wants to stay here for the night." Again, he was greeted with silence. "Lee?"

"Is Sasuke not staying with you?" Lee asked, his voice trembling a bit. Now Naruto sighed. How big of an issue could that possibly be? "Yes, he is. Is that a problem?" he asked, knowing this question was a stupid one. "Well Naruto, I cannot say that I trust Sasuke completely." Lee replied. "And I do not feel… good knowing that Sakura is in his presence, especially at night." Naruto stopped fidgeting with the phone cord. "I'll make sure nothing happens." Naruto assured.

Lee sighed as a reply. He still didn't feel too good with the situation. "I thought that it would be best if I let you know, Lee." Naruto said. "I didn't want you to worry too much about Sakura." He heard Lee walk around the room. "And I am very grateful for that, Naruto." Lee replied. "Is it okay if I come over to see if I can bring her back with me?" Naruto sighed. "You can do what you want Lee. She's _your_ wife after all. The door is open, so you can come in. But I'm going to take a bath now."

Lee chuckled at this. "Thank you Naruto." He said. Naruto smiled. "No problem Lee." He said. "Bye." And he put down the phone. Alright, he really hoped that he wouldn't get busted for this. Sakura was kind of smart after all, and Sasuke wasn't stupid either, but oh well. He went into the next room, to finally take his bath, ignoring the laughter coming from downstairs.

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"And remember when we tried to get Kakashi to take off his mask?" Sakura said, smiling. Sasuke laughed. "Yes, that went horribly!" he replied. "Did you manage to see it by now?" Sakura's smile got a bit smaller. "Er… yes." She said. "He didn't wear it at my wedding." Sasuke nodded, his smile completely gone. He stuffed the last bit of clothing in the washing machine and closed the door with a bit of difficulty. They had already done a lot to get the place to look a bit better.

It actually looked… cosy now. "So Lee doesn't want you near me, huh?" Sasuke asked. Sakura sighed. She knew this was about to come. Sasuke wasn't stupid after all. "Yeah, he still sees you as a threat." She replied. Sasuke looked at her, picking up a stray plate to go dump it in the dishwasher. "Do you?" Sasuke asked. Sakura looked at him, as if to scan him. Eventually, she simply shook her head. "I don't." she replied. She walked with Sasuke to the dishwasher, having her own stack to throw in.

"So, you fought because of me?" Sasuke asked. He didn't seem to want to let the subject go. "Yeah, partially." Sakura replied. "He's just what too over-protective in general." Why was she telling Sasuke all of this? Because she felt like she could trust him. But why? Was it not way too soon for that? Sasuke turned again, his face now mere inches away from Sakura's. Because of the dishwasher behind him, he couldn't back away, and Sakura simply didn't. "You know… Sakura…" Sasuke started.

"I didn't lie when I told you… that I loved you." Sakura blushed and now did take a very small step back. It was barely noticeable though. She didn't reply. "What I mean to say…" Sasuke continued. "If you ever felt like Lee doesn't make you happy… I will always be here for you." Sakura's eyes widened a bit. He never was like this to her when they were kids. Why now? "Sakura?" The other voice was what brought Sakura out of her trance. She turned to look at a certain boy who just happened to be her fiancée, simply standing there.

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"**Locks up a bunny in a big, glass ball with many more bunnies, closing it**." Aha! You people forgot that Sasuke lived with Naruto huh? Well, cliffie! **"Looks down the cliff."** And it's a very high one**. "Sees Lee hanging there." **Hang on Lee, until tomorrow. Please review!


	74. Calm down

"**author looks down at Lee."** Just a little while longer. First, I've got to reply my reviewers.

Bobalu: Did he hear them? Well, let's see. Thanks!

Panther eyes: Yeah, everyone forgot that. I know, I know! I used the wrong word, I'm sorry! Er… **"looks at bunnies" **but they're so cute!

Animelover5.6: Of course she does! Sasuke is simply jealous!

Magical Kitty: Everyone forgot that. Heh. Er… good question.

The Rogue Stallion: Funny? But it's drama! Oh well, we'll see.

JustMeAndADream: Thank you! Glad you like it.

Vesper Chan: Yes, I know, I was mistaken. Hubby? That's a cute word! **"squeals"**

NinjaMuffins: **"Looks at Lee."** He'll hand on a while longer. Yeah, everyone forgot that.

Gothic Saku-chan: Glad you like it! Aw, I'm sure he has fun. I _don't_ have duckies. "**pouts"**

RaeVenn-Chan: Er… I don't know! **"runs around in panic"**

xoSweetEscape: I know, I'm sorry. Well yeah, bad timing is quite essential here. Heheh.

The ruby wolf: No physical fight. Naruto's house just got cleaned up. It'll get ugly though.

EmiieRoxs: Haha, thank you. Yup, Naruto just had to have that. End cliffie here

Azuka knight: She is? Not good. I hope she'll stop annoying you soon then.

"**Pulls Lee up from the cliff and pats him on the back."** There, now we can go on**. "Rolls** **the ball of bunnies down the cliff."**

**On with it**

_**Calm down**_

"Lee." Sakura stuttered, now completely backing away from Sasuke. She saw Lee's hands tremble, his knees doing the same, as if he wasn't sure if he should run away or strangle Sasuke to death. Sakura decided that she'd rather not see him do any of those two things "Lee, why are you here?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject, also really wanting to know what he really was doing here. She took a step towards Lee and tried taking his hand but he backed away.

"Can I not be here when I want to be?" Lee asked. "Am I not good enough to pay a visit to Naruto?" his voice trembled. Sakura knew he hadn't come here to visit the blond. She knew. She knew that Naruto had told on her. She would have to kill him later on. "Lee, it's my fault." Sasuke said. Lee's head shot to look at Sasuke, his eyes cold and deadly. "I do not want to hear anything from you, traitor." Lee spat. "Lee, don't talk to him like that." Sakura said, coming to his defence.

"I see." Lee said. "This means that you are rather with Sasuke then with me, are you not?" Lee said, not even wanting an answer. He had seen and heard enough. He couldn't believe that he was betrayed like that. It was outrageous. He turned around and walked away, not wanting to see anything else. He felt like he would kill someone if he stayed too long. Sakura watched him leave, her heart aching. She had done nothing wrong. Nothing at all. But this wasn't the time to be mad at him for a silly reason like that.

Sasuke didn't even try to stop her. He had done enough. He knew this. But he couldn't help it. He simply loved her, and there was nothing that could stop his heart from feeling the way it did. He sighed and slouched down into the couch. He could only stay and wait for the conclusion.

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"Lee, please listen to me." Sakura said, running after Lee. Lee was walking with big angry strides, probably towards the training grounds. Sakura was having a very hard time keeping up with him, but she tried her best. The fact that Lee wasn't responding her only made things a lot more difficult, as Sakura kept pleading for his attention. "Lee, would you stop?" she begged. But her pleas were to no avail. A lot had happened, and Sakura could only guess that this had been the drop.

As she ran after Lee, doing her best to keep up with him, she suddenly lost her footing and tripped, landing harshly onto the ground. She slowly lifted her head to see Lee simply walk away from her, tears welling up in her eyes. This hurt. It hurt so much. She lifted a hand to wipe away the tears and saw that her arm was bloodied. She had sliced her skin on the stone ground as she fell. Her other arm didn't look any better, and her knees were even worse. Nonetheless, she got to her feet again.

And she started running again, struggling with all her might to be able to keep up with Lee. She didn't succeed though. She was hurt, outside and inside. And what hurt most right now was her heart. Did Lee truly not see her fall or did he simply not care anymore? "Lee!" she called out again, her voice raspy, her tears audible. Lee still didn't turn to look at her though. It was almost as if he had grown deaf. He finally turned and went into one of the training grounds, going over to his trusty training post.

Sakura slowly followed him. Her body was stinging, but she had been able to handle more. She would heal herself if she wasn't in such a hurry to go to Lee. She simply didn't have the time. And it wasn't of much importance anyways. As she walked, she wiped some mud and dirt from her clothes that was stuck to it now. She saw Lee hit an already beat up tree pretty hard. Again and again and again. She sighed. If the anger in his eyes wasn't so clear, she could've thought that he had found a part of his old self again.

That he was training like he once had done. Not that he didn't still train with all his heart, but his taijutsu skills hadn't been of any great concern lately. So why had he picked it up again? Was it truly to let off some steam, or did he perhaps find his sword training useless all of a sudden? No, she couldn't think that way. She snuck over to Lee who was still hitting the tree ferociously. She ignored how a drop of blood ran down her arm. "Lee?" she asked again, hoping that this time he would respond.

He didn't. She sighed and reached out to touch his shoulder. It scared her a little to do so because she could not be too sure of his reaction, but what did she have to lose anyways? She put her hand on Lee's shoulder who this time did react. He swiftly turned around, the anger in his eyes flaring wildly, and raised his hand as if ready to slap Sakura. Sakura gasped at this and closed her eyes on instinct, to try and block out some of the pain that would surely come, and to not see it. She didn't want to see it.

But the blow didn't come. After a few seconds, she dared to open up one eye, not looking into Lee's eyes yet. She was too afraid to do that. What she did see though was his hand, mere inches away from her cheek, as if it had been stopped there by some invisible force. The hand was trembling. Sakura opened up her other eye and looked up at Lee. Instantly, she wished for his anger to be back. She didn't at all like the expression his face now wore. It was one, only expressed by people who were broken.

Sakura wanted to say something but her lips were too dry. She wanted to move, but her body felt numb. Now what. "What am I doing?" Lee whispered all of a sudden. His eyes darted from his hand to Sakura's face, then down to her arms and legs. "What have I refused to help you with?" he asked. He wasn't expecting an answer. Sakura knew this. But she so desperately wanted to say at least something. Anything! But what could she say? Her throat still felt all raspy. She sighed in relief though.

"Will you listen to me now?" she asked, feeling how a lone tear ran down her cheek. Lee's hand brought itself to her cheek and softly stroke the tear away. At least he was listening. "I'm sorry for what Sasuke said." Sakura said. "I really am, but again. I can't help it if he loves me." She sighed. She wanted this explanation to be over with already. "I never told Sasuke anything that brought him to say those words." Sakura continued. She felt how her body was trembling all over.

Oh, how she hoped that Lee would believe her. "And I don't want to take those words either." Sakura said in all honesty. "I may have his heart but mine is already gone." She took the hand that was still on her cheek, as if it was stuck there. "You already have it. When will you see that?" More tears ran down her cheek. "I don't understand why you won't see that." She said, casting her eyes down, her hair covering them, casting a protective shadow. She didn't say much more. "I'm sorry."

Sakura's head twitched for a second, almost as if she wanted to look back up. Did she just hear that correctly? "I'm sorry." Lee said again. "I was simply so worried because you were with Sasuke." Lee said, explaining his own actions. "I raced trough the streets as fast as I could to come and save you if I needed to, and then I found you two there, inches away from each other and him saying… that." His voice trembled. "It hurt Sakura." He said. "But that doesn't explain anything, I'm sorry."

He sighed and drew Sakura close into a hug, careful not to hurt her. He stroked her hair and let her cry into his chest as the wind blew past them. "I was a fool."

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And stop. People, I'm out of time! I've got tons of stuff left to do! But I made a chapter anyways. Yes, short, but still, it's a chapter. I did my best on it, and on one side I'm happy with it, but on the other side…. I'm kind of not…. Oh well…. Please review.

"**kneels down next to Sasuke."** You okay? **"Sasuke turns away."**

**!!!! This stupid site refused to let me update yesterday, no matter how many times I tried! So, I'll make this chapter longer now.!!!**

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Sakura smiled. Great, she had him back. It seemed that she would have to watch out what she was doing now. "Lee." She said, her voice slightly muffled by his embrace. Lee didn't let her go though, he just snuggled up into her hair. "What is it, Sakura?" he asked. "What have you done with Aidan and Neji?" Lee smiled. "I put them down to sleep. They were tired." He said. Sakura sighed. Of course they were tired. They were still so young. They needed sleep. She flinched a bit as she felt her knee give off a painful sting.

Right. She still had to take care of that. She readied her chakra and sent it coursing trough her body, slowly healing the small wounds she had caused upon herself. She could be such a stupid klutz at times. "So, he said that he loves you?" Lee suddenly asked. His voice didn't sound angry, or jealous though. It simply sounded curious. Sakura smiled at him. "Yes he did, why?" She eyed him curiously. Lee seemed to think about it. "Well…" he started. "If it is true that he does, I am sure that he will not try to hurt you."

He sighed, as if having difficulty with this. "I believe that I can try and trust him for a little bit more if that is truly the case." He said. Sakura blinked at him. Was he really meaning this? She grinned at him. "So, you won't freak out if he talks to me?" she asked, caressing Lee's back with her fingers. "N-No." Lee responded, quite enjoying the feeling. "And… you won't think anything of it, if I'm with him?" she continued, raising one of her hands to play with his hair seductively. "I will not." Lee responded.

He gulped as she leaned into him even more, her hot breath caressing his ear. "So you'll trust me?" she whispered. Lee gulped. He could do nothing but nod. Sakura giggled, and kissed him sweetly. "Thank you." She said. "Let's go back home." Lee shook his head. "How about we go to Naruto's first?" he asked. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "To do what?" she asked. Lee sighed and put his hand on Sakura's waist, tugging her closer to him as he started walking. "Just come on." He said.

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When they finally did get to Naruto's house again, they found the door closed. But Sakura knew that Naruto always left his door open. He trusted on the fact that no one would ever dare to rob him, afraid of his brilliant power, and so he lazily kept the door unlocked at all times. Sakura twisted the knob and stepped inside, knowing she didn't have to explain her presence this time. Just being there would do no harm to anyone. They stepped inside to find Sasuke running past them quickly.

Sakura blinked at this. Had he even seen them? Why was he running away? "Sasuke, come back!" a loud voice hollered. A few seconds later, Naruto could be seen running pas as well, a towel tied around his waist, and a little yellow duck in his hand. Lee casually closed the door behind him, as if trying to block out what had just happened. "What's going on here?" Sakura asked herself, giggling. She got out of Lee's embrace and walked into the living room. Her curiosity once again got the upper hand.

She came upon the sight of Sasuke hiding behind a couch while Naruto was searching frantically for the raven-haired boy. Sasuke looked up to see Sakura standing there and pressed his finger against his lips, urging Sakura to keep his hiding spot a secret. Lee appeared behind Sakura, taking in the scene as well. He couldn't help but burst into a fit of chuckles all of a sudden. Sakura simply elbowed him in the hut. Naruto looked up to see whoever dared disturb his search.

"Lee! Sakura!" he yelled happily. "Glad to see you again. Have you seen Sasuke?" Sakura smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid not, Naruto." She replied. "Why do you need him?" Naruto crossed his arms. "I simply want him to help me pick out a nice outfit." He said, throwing his duck in the couch. "He and I are invited to the Hyuuga household." Sakura saw Sasuke roll his eyes. "Well, actually, I was invited, but I begged them to allow me to bring Sasuke." Naruto kept on rambling.

"Now I have to get Sasuke to go in the shower and get dressed himself." He sighed, not noticing how his towel had slipped down a bit. "I don't understand why he doesn't want to go there." Sasuke was making motions as if he was hanging himself, causing Sakura to giggle slightly. Sasuke simply sneered. It seemed his eyes refused to meet Lee's though, no matter how much he was having fun with the situation. Oh yes, he was having fun alright. But he really didn't want to attend to whatever the Hyuuga's had in store.

And then all of a sudden, what would happen happened. It could only be expected. Naruto's towel slipped down his waist completely, revealing what Sakura really didn't want to see. She shrieked and turned to hide her blushing face into Lee's chest. "He's hiding behind the couch!" She yelled. "Just take him and go get dressed." Lee blushed equally, his politeness leaving him no choice but to look away, and straight at Sasuke, who's face was stained with pure horror all over it. It was so funny, he couldn't help but grin.

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There. Now it's slightly longer. Just to beg for your forgiveness that this stupid site destroyed my promise to you. I hope it'll let me update now. "sigh". Sorry for the bit of humour, I just had to add it. Please review.


	75. Return of horror

"**Huggles Lee and Sasuke."** Yay! Nobody was mad for yesterday's not-update I'm so happy! As a reward, here's today's special guest!

Itachi: Hi everyone. How are you. **"sigh"** If I don't reply your reviews, I die, so…

Animelover5.6: You're glad? I guess I'm… slightly enthralled. Sasuke doesn't need love.

Gothic Saku-chan: **"coughs"** Sasuke picks the wrong friends. Hiding behind a couch. Hmph.

The ruby wolf: Well… **"eyes you suspiciously."** … I guess you're a little hyper…

KankurosBandGeek2010: **"yawns"** funny, huh? Laughing is a waist of time.

JustMeAndADream: I can. No one. Dying alone is a wonderful faith. **"nods."**

Vesper Chan:** "glares." **Yeah, and now he's coming after me. About time.

The Rogue Stallion: **"sigh"** too bad. I prefer drama.

Honeyflower15: No, fighting is good. **"shuts eyes"** dropping a towel is NOT.

NinjaMuffins: **"thinks"** perhaps he tries to scare me off that way. Fangirls do the trick too.

Bobalu: **"coughs awkwardly."** Alright. You show a little too much emotion to my liking.

Panther eyes: How about we don't talk about naked men. **"shudders**" it creeps me out.

Azuka knight: Sakura annoys me just the same. She's winy, clingy and a tattle-tale.

Van the Key of Lain: Worried? They almost broke up. **"crosses arms."** That would've been great.

"**Author knocks Itachi on the head."** Er… sorry for his rudeness. I apoligize! **"Locks him** **up in the big ball of bunnies, ignoring his constant screaming**." Er…

**On with it!**

_**Return of horror**_

Sakura heard some stumbling and some awkward shuffling. She could only guess that Naruto was recovering his position, putting the towel back on. "I'm so sorry, Sakura!" he screeched. Sakura giggled. Lee simply stroked her hair. "You can look again." He said. Sakura hoped that he wasn't getting revenge on her, simply saying that to get her even more embarrassed. She looked nonetheless, extremely curious. What she saw though brought her to a fit of giggles. Sasuke was slowly sneaking away without Naruto noticing.

The Uchiha crawled to the far end of the couch, and peered at Naruto, waiting for him to turn his head, then sprinted to the wall, disappearing behind it and into the hallway, never making a sound, appearing as he was sneaking around for his life. "What's so funny, Sakura?" Naruto asked as Sasuke now stood in the hall with them, invisible for Naruto. Sakura simply stuck out her tongue at him, not wanting to say. Naruto grinned. "But now I know…" he said. He snuck over to the couch on his toes, Sakura rolling her eyes.

He then jumped into it, his arms extended behind the couch, trying to grab whatever would be there. But all he grabbed was air. Sakura saw Sasuke let out a sigh. She felt sorry for him. Perhaps she should save him. But how? It was when Naruto's stomach let out a ferocious growl that she had an idea. "Naruto, should I cook you something?" she asked sweetly. Yes, she couldn't cook. Or rather, she would poison even the ninja with the strongest stomach in the world, but oh well.

Lee gave her a weird look and opened his mouth to say something but Sakura squeezed his hand, motioning towards Sasuke, trying not to be noticed by Naruto. Lee finally got it and sighed. "Please don't poison him." He whispered. Sakura simply smiled. "I'll do my best." She whispered back at him. "Well Sakura, I think that I'd get some food at the Hyuuga mansion." Naruto suddenly said, scattering the idea. "Are you sure that it'll be enough?" Lee asked, trying to convince him too now.

Sasuke simply stared at the married couple with confusion in his eyes. What were they up to? "You're right Lee." Naruto said. "Alright then, but I'll get dressed first." He walked towards the stairs that were… in the middle of the hallway. "No!" Sakura and Lee yelled at the same time. Naruto eyed them both as if they were crazy. "Why not?" he asked, keeping himself from asking Sakura if she simply wanted to see more, not even daring to wonder about Lee. "It's just that er…" Sakura started, not sure what to say.

"I have got a feeling that you will fall down the stairs if you do." Lee fell in. Sakura rolled her eyes. Way to go Lee. From the corner of her eye she saw that Sasuke was doing his best to keep in his laughter. If he so much as made a sound, she would leave him to be dragged around by Naruto. So there. "You do?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. Even he was beginning to wonder about what was going on here. "His predictions always come true." Sakura said in an eerie voice.

Well, she could try, couldn't she? Naruto shrugged. "Fine, fine, I've got time enough anyways." He said. "Great." Sakura said, smiling. "Now, point me to the kitchen." She knew very well where the kitchen was, but it would give Lee and Sasuke an opening. "Lee, you go on ahead and go home, alright?" she said, winking at the boy. Naruto, who was still rather fond of Sakura, dragged her to the kitchen, making sure that his towel was fastened well. Lee motioned for Sasuke to follow him quickly.

Sakura looked over her shoulder one last time and sent Sasuke a look that obviously told him that he was in her debt. And then, she saw how both her husband and the Uchiha left the building. She sighed, knowing that she was doomed.

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"Just keep running." Lee ordered as they ran away from the house. So, they saved Sasuke from going to the Hyuuga mansion. It all seemed kind of stupid and unnecessary to him but, he had to admit that he was having fun. It seemed as if he could be a child again, laughing as he did silly things, playing tricks on his friends, and saving others from doing boring stuff. And finally, they stopped running, Sasuke completely out of breath. "Keep… running, you say." Sasuke said, breathing heavily.

"Well, you've got it easy enough, you love to run." He was leaning on his knees, lifting his gaze to look at Lee who was standing straight, looking down on the Uchiha with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well, I don't!" Sasuke finished. He got up from his silly position though and looked back to Naruto's house. It was only a small dot now. Naruto could do his best to search trough the house. He wouldn't find him. Sasuke smiled and looked back at Lee. And now he noticed for the first time how the boy was taller then him.

He smirked. It seemed he has grown to… accept, perhaps even like the boy. Yes, he had kicked his ass over and over again, but he had a damn good reason to. "Thank you." Sasuke finally said. Lee blinked. Did he just hear that correctly? Ha! It seemed that Sasuke was growing more and more polite each day. It wouldn't be long now before he would start speaking like Lee. Or… perhaps that was bit too farfetched. "For saving me." Sasuke explained when he saw Lee looking at him strangely.

"Do not thank me." Lee said, grinning. "Thank Sakura, if she ever comes back alive." He said. Sasuke smirked. "Do you think that Naruto will be _really_ mad at her when he finds out?" he asked. Lee shook his head. "I think that he will be really mad when he tastes her food." He responded. Sasuke stared a few seconds at Lee before they both burst out laughing. Lee could only wonder how he suddenly got along with Sasuke so much. The boy had changed. But why? Who changed him that much… or what?

"Look… Sasuke…" Lee started. "I am sorry." Sasuke stopped laughing, the grin on his face reduced to a small smile. "What for?" he asked, totally clueless. "For calling you a traitor." He said, averting his eyes. Sasuke sighed, and started walking, Lee walking along right next to him. "I deserved it." He said. "It might have not been my meaning but I still did horrible things." Sasuke said, looking away when a girl eyed him with a look that had grown eerily familiar on him when he was a kid.

Lee sighed. He couldn't argue with that. He wouldn't say that Sasuke wasn't right, but… "Just because it was not your meaning." He said. "I forgive you." Sasuke smiled at him. "Thanks." He responded. That was the second time the Uchiha had thanked Lee, and what do you know, it was in the same day. "I think that girl likes you." Lee said, pointing out the obvious as he waved towards the girl who had eyed Sasuke cheerily. Sasuke simply pulled his arm down, glaring at him.

"Don't encourage her." He growled. Lee simply laughed. It seemed they kept on walking, talking about numerous things. They didn't even notice where they were going to, and finally, they ended up at the top of Hokage mountain. How they had gotten there, they couldn't even recall. But that didn't matter. Sasuke sat down, his legs dangling over the edge. He looked at Naruto's house, which was quite obvious because of the extremely black smoke coming from the chimney. He smirked slightly.

"Is she really that bad at cooking?" he asked, knowing that she really was. He could only hope that she wouldn't burn down the house where he was currently residing. Lee sighed. "I love her, and I would never want to lose her, but yes. She is a terrible cook." He replied. "Sometimes, I even think she does it on purpose. How else could anyone cook that bad?" He ran a hand trough his hair. "Bless my strong stomach." He finished. Sasuke simply smiled. "Lee, listen, I…"

"Well, look what we have here." A voice suddenly interrupted. Both Lee and Sasuke turned around to face whoever was talking to them. To Sasuke, the voice sounded awfully familiar. And with good reason. Sasuke almost fell down the mountain when he realized who exactly was there. He got up, trembling, as he stood next to Lee. He hadn't expected him to be there, but Lee for some reason was far from surprised. He simply glared at the two people, smirking down at them.

Black cloaks, flowing in the free wind, red clouds decorating the folds. One of them black hair, the other auburn. "Why hello, brother." One said. Sasuke hissed and took a small step back. He was scared of this man. He really was. "Itachi." He spat. Lee glared at the other man before him. The one who had brought him down to his knees in despair. The one who had aimed his sword at the two people most precious to him in the world. The leader of the Akatsuki. Ken. The Akatsuki had returned.

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"**Nods dramatically."** And that is why Itachi was my special guest. It was about time that they returned, don't you think? Now, please review! And please tell me how I can save Sakura. Hahaha.


	76. Too sad to die

This is a call to all authors of Leexsaku ficcies to… update! **"sighs"** alright, now that that's over with. I will be answering myself. **"grins widely while giving a thumbs up."**

The ruby wolf: My favourite fruit would be bananas. Well… I don't know, this might just strengthen their unstable friendship.

Animelover5.6: She'll make it out okay. But I'm not sure about Lee and Sasuke.

Bobalu: Well, they had to right? And here they are. Just like tomorrow is today.

xoSweetEscape: Thank you. Er… the kids. That's a very good idea. I'll think about it. Or maybe later, when they're old enough to realize. **"evil grin."**

KankurosBandGeek2010: Dangerous? How so?

Vesper Chan: Oh, no bother. That's why it's drama, right? Heheh.

The Rogue Stallion: Yup. Finally.

Azuka knight: Aw. You don't like chat? I love to write chat though. **"pouts."**

Panther eyes: Hahaha, that might work. I don't think they'd take it though. Wrong? Er…

NinjaMuffins: No problem. Well, enjoy now!

Magical Kitty: You trained Lee oO. Oh well… **"drags Itachi to you."** Talk to her! **"Itachi** **grumbles in a robotic voice."** I thank you for your review and **"glares at author" **I like you too. **"Goes and hides in the closet."**

Gothic Saku-chan: getting much better? It's chapter 75… isn't that a bit too late?

**And that's all of them. It seems that no one has understood my meaning so far. But oh well, you'll find out. "grins". Here goes.**

**On with it.**

_**Too sad to die**_

"I can't believe that you're actually getting along with that… boy." Itachi commented softly as he motioned towards Lee. Sasuke tried to step even further away but his foot nearly slipped off of the steep cliff behind him, Lee glancing at him as he did. He seemed extremely nervous. Would he be able to fight if necessary? Itachi mockingly took a step closer, as if thinking that if Sasuke indeed jumped down hokage mountain himself, I would spare him the trouble. He smirked as he saw Sasuke shut his eyes.

"Stop playing around Itachi." Ken said. He looked behind him and motioned his hand, movement visible. Nobody came to join the two men before Lee and Sasuke though. Had ken just ordered something to happen? Lee looked over his shoulder swiftly, looking at the house with the black smoke coming from the chimney. _Naruto, please protect her_. He looked back at Sasuke and grabbed his arm, dragging him a few steps to the front. "Please snap out of it Sasuke." Lee scolded.

"If you do not fight, you will surely be killed." He looked back at Ken, afraid to lock gazes with the taller Uchiha in front of him. He had heard about his frightening techniques and he didn't want to take the risk to be caught in it. "Why do you think we wish your death?" Ken said mockingly. "It's simply your bad luck that you were here, just when we planned on returning." He smirked at Itachi. "Itachi here simply wanted to visit his hometown. Think about long lost memories." He smirked as he spat the next word. "Family."

Sasuke's eyes shot open at this. His horrified gaze at the ground slowly lifting itself to battle Itachi's gaze with a fierce glare. He didn't even care about the other guy. He didn't know who he was, or what his intentions were. He didn't even know what Lee was getting so worked up about. But he wanted to make sure that Itachi would not leave this place alive. Sasuke's hand slowly crept to the end of his sword, ready to draw. Lee found that he was doing the same. Was he really ready for this. He sighed as he dropped his hand. He wasn't.

"It seems that we'll have to take care of them." Itachi stated, dropping into an attack stance that wasn't much different from a normal stance. It was known as shizen no kamai. Lee knew it very well. He himself got into his normal attack stance, as did Sasuke. "Sasuke." Lee said, trying to draw the boy's attention. Sasuke's eye twitched for a second, signalling that he was listening. "We must work together to defeat them." Lee stated, not even sure if it was really possible to defeat the two men before him.

"I know that." Sasuke spat. Lee's eyes widened for a second, but he then directed his attention at Ken. "Good." Lee said. "I am glad that you understand." Sasuke nodded. The last action he did before finally dashing forward first, ready to slam a hole into Itachi's stomach, with or without his sword. Sadly for him, Itachi quickly dodged and simply hit him on his back, causing him to land flat face in the dirt. "I've searched everywhere for you, Sasuke." Itachi said as Sasuke shakily got up again.

"I'm here to take you back." In one elegant sweep, he opened his cape and drew a long sword. "That or I'll kill you." Lee had enough. "Do not give up Sasuke. I know that your sword skills are far better then his." He commented. But he couldn't say too much. He had his own enemy to battle. It was just in time that he saw Ken dash forward, using the same device that had electrocuted Gai, and evaded it, knowing that his life depended on that move. He then quickly connected his foot to Ken's back, causing him to crash down.

Sasuke now truly drew his sword. Lee was right. He was far better then his brother would ever be. If Orochimaru had proved to be useful for one thing, it would be his teaching Sasuke to handle the blade he was proudly holding in his hands. He activated his sharingan, the trademark technique he hated his brother for having. "Are you ready to die?" he asked in a low voice. Itachi simply smirked, not responding. And with a lightning quick move, he thrusted his own sword forward.

Sasuke spun, holding his own sword next to him, blocking the thrust, withdrawing the blade as he spun once more, slashing away at the man in front of him who jumped away just in time, part of his cloak ripped to shreds, taken away by the wind that blew it into the city of Konoha. Good. It could prove to be a good warning. As Sasuke had created some time for himself, he looked to the side, to find Lee being kicked in the stomach harshly, the boy now skidding across the ground.

He stopped just in time to not fall down the mountain, his head hanging from the steep cliff. But Ken was already preparing for the next hit, that would connect surely, killing him. Sasuke had to decided quickly now. Itachi jumped forward to hit Sasuke, his sword lifted into the air. Sasuke dashed forward as well, evading the sword with his swiftness, tackling Itachi as if catching him into an embrace. But then he turned, grabbing the part of the cloak that was still intact and threw him towards Ken, who was running towards Lee.

Itachi balanced himself into the air just in time, but landed against Ken nonetheless who was thrown back together with the Uchiha. Sasuke appeared next to Lee and pulled him up roughly. "What are you doing?" he hissed. Lee wiped his cheek, getting rid of some blood pouring down and looked at Sasuke. "I am only doing my best." He responded. He looked back at Itachi who was getting off of Ken grumpily. "Well, that's not good enough." Sasuke said. "I have no time to hold your hand."

Lee sighed and got into an attack stance again. "Do you have any suggestions then?" he asked. Sasuke positioned himself right next to Lee, facing the two opponents once more. "Draw your sword." He said. Lee blinked. "What?" Itachi dashed forward again and so did Sasuke to meet him halfway. Both of their swords clashed together fiercely, both attacks parried. "Just do it!" Sasuke shouted. Lee shivered. Why was he feeling so cold all of a sudden. He looked at Ken who was approaching.

The sound of metal in the background seemed to pierce his ears. Sasuke and Itachi truly were into a great fight. Lee decided to take Sasuke's advice. Either way, he had lots of moves left. He would protect those dear to him at all costs, even if he had to use…_ that_ move. He drew his sword that was a beautiful sparkly blue and held it in front of him, ready to strike when necessary. From the corner of his eye, he saw how Itachi was thrown backwards against a crumbling rock.

But Sasuke had been thrown back just the same, blood dripping from a deep gash on his cheek. Ken daringly put forward the arm he had used to kill Lee's best friend. His rival. Lee growled as he grabbed hold of the sword even tighter. He could not let this man live. He dashed forward, as did Sasuke at the same time, swinging his sword above his head. Ken got ready to parry but Lee jumped up, then made his sword connect with Ken's shoulder clumsily. It seemed his accuracy was still a little bit off.

Lee landed on his feet again, and turned, ready to attack again, trying to deal a finishing blow this time. But Ken had already disappeared. He had too much speed. But he knew where he would appear. Lee took his sword and turned it, stabbing it into thin air, right behind him, when he suddenly heard an awful yelp. A screech of pain. Lee was horrified. Not only had he made a wrong prediction and had hit nothing at all, but… Ken had appeared behind Sasuke, and had pierced his back.

"Leave him alone!" Lee yelled fiercely, running towards the Uchiha. This was not happening again. Was he really not able to protect anyone? What was wrong with him?! "Konoha whirlwind!" Lee yelled fiercely, as he knocked Ken off of Sasuke. Itachi was still there though. His sword roughly slashed past Lee's arm, cutting his muscles apart. Lee screamed as his blood quickly left his body. His knees were trembling but he couldn't fall down. Not yet. Not now! With his good hand, he punched Itachi in the face.

He felt how his cheekbone broke, the Uchiha flying backwards again. No way. Sasuke would not die. Lee stumbled towards Sasuke who was struggling to get up again. A puddle of blood was forming beneath him, yet still, he was trying to stand and fight. His sword was lying next to him. He grabbed it with a trembling arm, almost falling down again as his other arm found his body weight a lot to bare at the moment, yet managed to keep himself up, and finally got to his shaky feet again, his vision clouded.

"What are you… doing?" Sasuke asked, blood flowing down his chin. "This battle isn't over yet." Lee frowned. "Sasuke…" Sasuke glared at him fiercely, his eyes unfocused because of his loss of blood. "Pick up your sword, Lee." He said. "Don't you have something to protect?" Lee shivered again. Sasuke was right. He picked up his sword and stood, facing Ken once more, his and Sasuke's back against each other. He indeed had people to protect. He would have to use… the one move that was forbidden to him.

The lotus.

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And that was that. Man, what a weird chapter. I love how it turned out at the end though. I find it hard to decided on how to wound my characters though. But it'll all work out. Teehee. Please review.


	77. The forbidden lotus

I have no time whatsoever today, so let's skip my usual foolishness and carry on.

Vesper Chan: Well, that's all relative, you know. There are many stories with more words then this one. So therefore I won't be satisfied until I reach 200 000 words. Thanks though.

RaeVenn-Chan: Well, let's hope something good.

Gothic Saku-chan: Hahaha, alrighty then. Well, here's the update.

Azuka knight: Nah, I'm not planning on killing him… yet. Life support? Wow Oo. I'd best update then.

Panther eyes: Yes he did, but… it'd be too funny for this. Aw, fear? Well, can't blame you.

Honeyflower15: Well, they should. They'd die if not. Well, here it is.

Magical Kitty: He sure is! Ha! Thanks for the compliment.

The ruby wolf: Haha, are you sure? Thanks for cheering them on though.

**Hmmm… It seems I get less reviews then usual. Any particular reason for that? Normally, I'd fret about it but I've got no time today! So…**

**On with it!**

_**The forbidden lotus**_

Sasuke gasped as he suddenly felt the release of a huge amount of chakra happening right behind him. Who could that be? He knew that Lee couldn't be the cause of it. The boy didn't have a clue on how to manipulate chakra whatsoever. Was the enemy he was facing really that strong? He decided to let his curiosity win, neglecting the fearsome sight of his brother struggling to his feet again, glancing over his shoulder to see what Lee would have to deal with now. His eyes widened when he saw.

He had never seen anything like it before. Lee was bending trough his knees, as if his body was weighing down on them heavily. His hands were clenched into fists, as if needing to endure heavy pain. His eyes had lost all colour and darkness it once possessed and were now nothing more but two white orbs. And to top it all, his skin had turned into an unnatural red, veins pulsating and creepily visible. But what would be the most fearsome of it all, was the intense aura circling Lee.

It was a whitish blue and almost looked like some kind of force field. Lee gritted his teeth and Sasuke saw that his nose was starting to bleed. And then, Sasuke met up with an emotion he had felt numerous times that day. Only, it had never proven to be this intense and this obvious. Fear. He was afraid of this boy. He even turned around and took a step back, afraid of what might happen. Yes, Lee was his ally, but it almost seemed as if all of his senses wee gone. As if he was led only by an animated instinct.

Then all of a sudden, Lee started yelling, perhaps roaring, as if to let out all of the energy that had been building up inside of his body. A mysterious yet powerful wind surrounded the boy and Sasuke took back another step. He glanced at Ken who seemed to be at a loss for words. And he too shared the emotion Sasuke was experiencing at that moment. And Sasuke couldn't blame him. He himself could barely fight the urge to run away. "Now, you will pay for what you have done." Lee spoke.

Sasuke felt kind of relieved when he did. So he had not lost his senses. "You killed my best friend." Lee yelled. "And now you wish to kill the few people left that are precious to me." The ground below his feet seemed to be breaking apart. "And I will not simply stand here and watch you advance. You will die right now." Sasuke smiled. So it would all be over now. The leader of the Akatsuki would die. Sasuke was quite sure off that. Good. That would mean the entire group would fall apart.

His knees were still shaking dangerously, and he started to breath a little bit more heavily. He ignored how his vision seemed to double for just a moment, then turning back to what it normally was. He didn't have much time left himself. If he wanted to kill off his brother, it would have to be now. He wanted to turn around to face Itachi again. He wanted to grab his sword and make it connect with Itachi with one last, powerful blow. That was what his true intentions were. But…

Before he could manage to do anything, he was suddenly greeted with a powerful blow to the head. One so powerful that it knocked him down. He landed on his back, causing him to scream in agony. He even drew the attention of Lee who was about to kill off what would be the number one enemy. Sasuke shakily lifted his head again to see Itachi cruelly lift his very own sword. Sasuke gulped. This was it. There was no way for him to escape anymore. He had no more blood and no more strength left. Finally, he would die.

He watched the sword come down with great force when all of a sudden, Itachi disappeared. Sasuke blinked. Was his vision playing tricks on him? Or was he perhaps delusional? What he had been able to make out right before Itachi disappeared was that he seemed to be blown back by an unknown force, extremely powerful. Could it be? He suddenly heard a scream of agony and knew that it came from Lee. He looked up, directing himself towards the source of the sound. And there was his brother too.

Itachi seemed to be floating in the air, but the truth was that even gravity couldn't keep up with Lee at this point. It seemed that Konoha's green beast was pounding down onto Itachi greatly. He had… saved Sasuke's life. Sasuke gulped as he saw how Itachi was coughing up blood dramatically, his flesh cut by what seemed to be nothing but wind. He was taking a fearsome beating, and Sasuke could only wonder why he was still alive. But it seemed that Lee was winning, then why did he scream?

It seemed that Ken too was doing nothing but stare at the battle scene taking place in the air. Occasionally, blood rained down at him, and he was disgusted with the fact that it came from someone from his own group. Itachi nonetheless. How strong was this kid really? When had he gained this power? And then it happened. Lee felt that his muscles had reached their limit. Or rather, they had already torn themselves apart. His bones were cracked and every fibre of his body was hurting. It would have to end now.

He directed all of his power into one first and connected it firmly with Itachi's already broken body, the hit causing him to crash down onto the ground with a speed that could have done nothing but kill. Even Sasuke was horrified. He shakily turned his head to the side, to the place where Itachi had landed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee land too, rather clumsily I might add. It was almost as if the boy had been unable to control his fall and was now rolling, trying to stop his own speed.

And finally, he came to a halt. It was then that the smoke hovering above Itachi's body had been completely gone, now leaving the visible body of what once was the most fearsome Uchiha. There wasn't much left. That was for sure. Limbs were cracked in ways that could not be healthy. Very few parts of his body were untainted with blood and it seemed that the hole that was created because of Itachi's heavy fall was slowly filling with said blood. His eyes were staring at nothing. Lifeless and dead.

It was true. It was obvious and it was both a relief and something sad. Sasuke couldn't help but feel grateful to Lee. After all, the boy had saved his life by attacking Itachi instead of his own enemy. He had killed the man that Sasuke had tried to kill all of his life. If Lee hadn't done that, Sasuke would be dead now. He knew that. But, on the other hand, he also felt a certain anger. Itachi was dead. His brother was dead. And it was not because of his own hand. He had been unable to avenge his family.

The goal he had pursued all his life was now completed, and not even by himself. It was Lee that had killed off the man. Just like it was Lee that had stolen the heart of…. Sasuke turned his head towards Lee now, no longer able to look at Itachi and saw that Lee didn't look too good either. His one arm was still bleeding heavily though it had already subdued but there was something strange about the boy. He seemed to be conscious but unable to move. Sasuke had no choice but to investigate this.

"Itachi, get up." He ignored the heavy voice of Ken. Lee slightly turned his head. He had done it. He had killed the man. He saw how Sasuke was trying to get to his feet again. He should be able to, as he had succeeded last time. One punch more or less wouldn't stop the Uchiha. But Lee… he was stopped now. Completely immobilized. He felt even worse then last time. He felt how the pain coursed trough his entire body as if lighting him on fire. He could easily describe the pain with a colour. Red.

It hurt so much. He tried to move his arm but found that he had to keep himself from screaming out simply by doing that. "Get up Itachi, now." Sounded Ken's voice again. Lee cursed himself. He hadn't killed off the leader. He hadn't killed off the man who had caused him so much pain, and who was sure to cause him even more pain, simply to save that boy who had once betrayed the village and who had hurt his love twice. Even if it hadn't ever been his meaning. It was the boy he couldn't believe he trusted.

It was the boy who had offered his own cherry blossom to leave Lee and join him. And still, he saved his life. Why? It was probably all meaningless anyways. Ken was sure to kill off Sasuke now, and after that Lee. After all, there wasn't much left they could do. He watched how Sasuke stumbled towards him, blood flowing onto the ground as he did. Lee didn't even protest. Ken meanwhile ran to Itachi to check if the man was really dead. He soon came to the conclusion that he really was.

Lee smirked. He wouldn't go for no reason. He had killed off that Uchiha, and had inflicted quite some serious blows onto Ken. It would slow them down for sure. Them being Akatsuki. "Lee, what's wrong?" Lee turned his head to fully look at Sasuke, breaking away his gaze from his empty thoughts. Sasuke seemed to be struggling, while Lee didn't even feel like doing that anymore. "It is over Sasuke." Lee said, feeling how some blood ran down his lips as he opened his mouth.

"There is hardly any part of my body left whole." He sighed as he weakly twitched a finger. "I am completely broken inside." Sasuke frowned. "Did you know this would happen?" he asked, knowing that the only cause of this could have been the technique Lee had used. "Yes." Lee answered simply. "You used a double-edges sword, it having meant to kill that leader." Sasuke said. He turned his back to Lee now, facing Ken who had lifted his head to glare at the two half-dead ninja.

"It's my turn to protect you know." He said, his voice trembling. Lee didn't manage to say a thing. He knew it wouldn't happen. It couldn't. Sasuke couldn't win. "Leave them alone." Lee blinked when all of a sudden, another person appeared. An alley, even. "K-Kakashi." Sasuke said. Kakashi didn't even turn to look at him. It was obvious that he was determined to protect them. But Lee didn't even pay attention to that anymore. He had seen something he really didn't want to see. The blue sword had flashed red, and blue again. It had flashed red!

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There. All done. I did a lot in an hour eh? I'm proud. Please review again people. Don't get lazy. If you don't like it, tell me why please?


	78. Saved

Hmm… I didn't update yesterday because of the lack of reviews. Is something wrong? Should I quit this story already or what? "sigh" either way, I'll update today. But first…

The Rogue Stallion: Could be that… could be something else.

Amber: Hah, don't worry. Lee won't die. That would mean the end of this ficcie. Thank you for your support.

NinjaMuffins: Eh, don't worry. Yup, Itachi's dead, so there! Glad you like my battle scenes!

Honeyflower15: means danger, remember? Heh, you'll find out what happens next right now.

Panther eyes: Something happened alright. But what? Yup, Itachi's a goner!

KankurosBandGeek2010: Thank you, glad you like it.

Animelover5.6: Hahaha, I'll see what I can do. Yup, just had to add Kakashi again.

Bobalu: Hah, those chapters need to be there too ya know. Glad you liked it.

RaeVenn-Chan: Hahaha, glad you liked it. Thanks a lot.

**So thanks to all of you who did review. Please keep on doing that, you make me happy. Now, on to the next chapter and oh. (I feel so sorry for Orochimaru! Check the manga, you'll get it.)**

**On with it!!!**

_**Saved**_

"It looks like you took quite a beating." Kakashi stated, looking at Ken. The man before him was out of breath. His clothe were stained with blood and his legs were trembling. It was quite clear that he wouldn't be able to take much more. "And to top it all, your backup just died." Kakashi continued in his eerily calm voice, motioning towards Itachi, laying on the ground lifelessly, staring at nothing, his body cold and no longer possessing the power and strength it once did. "I wonder who did that."

Kakashi turned his had slightly to look at Sasuke. After all, it was quite sure that no one but the younger Uchiha would've been capable of doing such a thing. But the moment his eye locked gazes with Sasuke's, the boy looked away, almost…embarrassed. So, it wasn't Sasuke. That left only one person. Kakashi, who was sure that Ken was not capable of doing anything without even the weakest ninja noticing, turned fully to face Lee, who seemed to be staring at his sword, laying on the ground.

So, he had been the one. But why was he so scared, seeming so helpless. Kakashi frowned. He revealed his sharingan to check on Lee, to find out why the boy wasn't moving, even though he was conscious. His eyes widened as soon as he noticed. The boy was completely broken and beat. He was torn everywhere. The pain must've been blinding him. Only one move could've been the cause of this. One move only. The move that was forbidden to Rock Lee. The hidden lotus. Kakashi sighed. "Such a fool."

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Naruto tried to move, blood running from his forehead into his right eye, forcing him to close it. With his vision blurred, he could do nothing but watch how an unconscious Sakura was being carried off by a blond haired member of the Akatsuki. Naruto was sure that the moment Deidara's attack had connected with Sakura, her heart had stopped for a moment or two before beating again. The attack had possessed so much power, it was incredible she didn't really die. Naruto knew he never would've survived it.

Deidara looked over his shoulder one last time to grin at Naruto. "I'm sorry for the damage to your house, boy." He said. "But I'm sure you can fix it." He patted the pink haired girl swung over his shoulder on her head. "And you won't have her to whine about it." He smiled. "Girls can be that way you know." Naruto growled as he lifted his right knee, ready to lift himself from the ground once more. That, or fall back down. Deidara simply shook his head. "We're not here for you today, vessel." He said.

Naruto blinked. He wasn't sure what he was talking about. "I suggest that you stay calm and rest. The only reason I didn't kill you… is because we still need the beast inside of you." He smiled. "I came here to search for that big green man, but this is for my enjoyment." And he kissed Sakura on the cheek as if to taunt Naruto. "Farewell boy." He said as he turned to leave again. "Tell the little green boy he should've cared for his girl better." And that's how he left, Naruto finding he lacked the strength to do anything. Anything but simply lie there.

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"So I can count on you then?" she asked. The man smirked at her. His black cloak floated in the wind as they stood in the grassy area that seemed to be darker then it should be. "My dear girl." He said in sort of a falsely soothing voice. "We've been working on this for months now." Red clouds. "We've neared the highest point. Any time now my girl, any time." He smirked. "You are ready to pay the price, are you not?" The girl sighed. She was trembling all over as she was nervous. "I am."

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"What do you think, Ken." Kakashi said. "Do you still want to fight?" Ken glared at Kakashi. "It would seem that everyone intends to fight me…" he said. "Save for the one I truly wish to meet in battle." He turned around, walking away. "I will not fight you, copy ninja, not now. But perhaps we'll meet again, after I dispose of Gai. I will show no mercy when we do." Kakashi simply stood there. In the state Ken was in at the moment, Gai was sure to defeat him. No worries there.

When the man finally disappeared in a flutter of ravens, and Kakashi was sure that his presence was completely gone, he turned to face the two younger ninja again. Sasuke had meanwhile collapsed onto the ground, his arms trying to get him up again, trembling and shaking like crazy. Lee seemed to be struggling even more, trying to move even the slightest body part, but for what cause, Kakashi didn't know. He hid his sharingan again and walked over to the two wounded boys.

"You've gotten yourself into a pretty tight mess." Kakashi said sternly. Neither one of the two ninja listened to his words. They didn't matter so why should they care? Kakashi frowned. What was wrong with them. Both of them seemed to be broken. Either way, he needed to act quickly now. He kneeled next to Sasuke, who was closest to him and casually picked him up, carefully putting him onto his right shoulder. Sasuke couldn't help but protest, but to no avail. Kakashi needed to get him to the hospital fast.

He then kneeled down next to Lee, trying to pick him up without hurting him, knowing that that was impossible. He put him on his other shoulder, supporting both boys with ease know, ignoring the pained grunts from both of them, disappearing in a flash to get them to the hospital. That didn't take him too long. He got there faster then anyone else would've, and rushed inside, still doing his best not to hurt the boys anymore then they were already. And immediately, two beds were rolled towards him.

It seemed that people understood the seriousness of the situation, wanting to help Kakashi. Kakashi gratefully accepted the help and put both boys down on one of the beds. They were about to rush away when suddenly, Kakashi felt something tug his sleeve. He turned his head slightly, his eyes widening as he saw that Lee had been able to weakly grab hold of his sleeve. His eyes were unfocused and pained but they sought Kakashi's, wanting to tell him something. "What is it, Lee?" Kakashi asked.

"It is Sakura." Lee said. "Please, could you go check on Sakura? She is at Naruto's house." Kakashi frowned. Why would he be worried about her all of a sudden? He himself had barely escaped death. Unless… the sword! He nodded. "I will, Lee. Don't worry." He responded. Lee smiled, the emotion never fully reaching his eyes. It was a polite, grateful smile, showing that he understood Kakashi's honesty. After this quick conversation, Sasuke and Lee were finally taken away, to be taken care off.

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"I must say, I'm surprised that a Konoha ninja would seek out my help." The man in the black cloak said. "You're very lucky that our leader had unfinished business here." The girl nodded. "I am very grateful to you." She sighed. "I didn't know what else to do." The man smirked. "I don't mind at all." He said. "The price you pay for what you get is plenty." He unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the brown earth. After this, he grabbed a jar, filled with a certain liquid and poured it over the sword. It was blood.

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Where am I? Am I being… carried? It… hurts. Sakura slowly opened her eyes. They met with black. It was a cloth. Black cloth. Clothing. She was moving alright, and someone carried her. As this person walked, she felt how a long, soft strand of blond hair, suddenly hit her in the face. Long, blond hair? Who was this? Wait… Finally, her mind was able to return to her fully, restored in its full glory, as she suddenly lifted her fist and hit the one carrying her harshly into his back.

The man sc reached slightly, and dropped her harshly onto the cold, hard ground. Why were they at a rocky area anyways? She rolled sideways slightly and looked at the man who was kneeling, trying to regain his composure, gasping because of the pain in his back. "Not very friendly… are you?" he gasped. Sakura simply glared at him. "I don't like being kidnapped." She stated simply, readying her fists. She was tired. The battle she and Naruto had with this man earlier had almost drained her completely.

Wait. Naruto! "What have you done with Naruto?" she asked angrily. Deidara finally got up again, looking at Sakura while smiling. How could he be so darn confident? "He's alive, if that's what you mean." He said. "My leader would kill me if I got rid of that vessel already." He sighed as he stroked his hand trough his hair. "It would mess up our plans completely." He leaned against a rock, as if trying to see how much his back could take and looked down at Sakura. "Now, why don't you be a good girl and come with me?"

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A bright light, surrounded with what seemed to be dark spirits, surrounded the sword as the ground below seemed to be raised. The man in the Akatsuki cloak, raised his hands as the ground raised with them. Finally, the ground seemed to be at the height of an average man, slightly taller then the member of the Akatsuki. Sand fell down the raised ground every now and then. "Now, if you could just grant me your blood as a signature, I will complete the ritual." The man said. "Of course." Tenten said, slightly cutting her arm.

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Uh-oh, what's going on here? Alright people. You must understand that I do a lot to try and update this story as much as I can. Now if you could please, please grant me a little bit of your time and give me a review? It's all that keeps me into writing. Alright? Thanks.


	79. Resurrection

Hm… alrighty then. I guess I can accept 8 reviews. "grin" I'm awfully chirpy and whirly today. Alright, my reviewers!

Honeyflower15: So many things happening at once! Argh! Don't worry though. "grin"

Roslyn: "blink" er… die? I'll continue then, thank you very much. I'm glad that you like my story so much. And Leexsaku is simply my favourite pairing! Yay them! Thank you!

The Rogue Stallion: You are so damn sharp! How do you do it?! Alright, enjoy anyways.

Panther eyes: No, that she didn't do. Don't worry. You'll find out now.

Animelover5.6: Me too! Haha, enjoy thanks for your enthusiasm.

Vesper Chan: Yeah, I can't help but think that he wants to stay alive to meet up with his parents again. "sigh" poor, poor thing. And yup, he's so KAWAII! Well, thank you!

RaeVenn-Chan: O…kay. Thanks for your hyper review. Glad you liked it!

Magical Kitty: Yup, she got carried away by a man on a white horse. Okay, that's not true.

**Okay, that was that. I can't wait to continue. But on the other hand. I have little time. It's always hectic on Mondays and Fridays. Oh well, I'll quit stalling.**

**On with it!!!**

_**Resurrection**_

Tenten's blood leaked onto the ground until the man carefully held a vile underneath her arm. He caught her blood until it was full, then closed it and hid it in his cloak. He then stroked her skin with his thumb, leaving a somewhat green liquid behind, closing the wound, stopping the bleeding. "Thank you very much, my girl." The man said, his voice smooth, almost snake-like. But in a way much different from anyone she had ever encountered. "Now you do remember right. If you don't pay the price, yours and his blood will be poisoned."

Tenten nodded. She fully understood. The man took out a long thin sword, almost resembling one used for fencing and held it in front of him. He then quickly slashed the sand in front of him, carving what seemed to be a door, light pouring out of the cuts. He put his sword back and turned around. "Release him by putting your hand against the door." He said. "He will come back the age he's supposed to be now. Be grateful for that." Tenten nodded, the man turning and finally leaving, to not be detected again.

Tenten turned towards the raised earth in front of her again. She was trembling all over. If this was for real, she would…, but if this wasn't, the disappointment would surely kill her. She took a deep breath, deciding that she shouldn't wait any longer and put her trembling hand against the 'door'. Immediately, her hand gave away a white glow, causing the sand surrounding it to crumble way, only to reveal a man with a pale skin, long black hair surrounding his beautiful features, his eyes closed.

Tenten stretched out her hand carefully, her mouth half open, not able to utter a single word, the only thing escaping her mouth, incomprehensible sounds that were too soft to be heard by any human. And finally, her hand touched his cheek, his eyes fluttering open immediately, revealing milky white, compassionate eyes to look down at her. "Tenten." He stated dully, as if not fully understanding what was going on. A few tears escaped Tenten's eyes. "Neji." She uttered happily, glad that her hand met warmth instead of death.

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"Stay away from me." Sakura hissed, as if she was a cat that could attack at any moment simply because it felt threatened. "Aw, don't be that way." Deidara almost begged. "Is that my gratitude for carrying you all the way here?" Sakura growled. "I was fully content being down there." Sakura replied as she gazed at Konoha, still visible beneath the ground she was standing on, but just barely. Just how long had she been out anyways. She suddenly started coughing, blood spilling from her mouth.

"Oh, do be careful." Deidara said. "It seems that my blow shook you up quite a bit." Sakura simply glared at him. He would not take her away. She had a family to take care off. A husband who would die if she disappeared, and children she'd rather not see grow up alone. "If you don't let me go, I'll fight you." Sakura stated simply. "I might just kill you." She continued. "I am the student of the fifth hokage after all." Deidara simply laughed. "My dear girl, that means nothing at all."

He grinned. "That's why they have exams. To let incapable students fail." He walked up to Sakura slowly, an almost kind smile on his lips. "You being a student instead of a master simply proves that you still have lots to learn." Sakura took a small step back. Whatever he said, she would not listen. She knew her worth, she knew what she was capable off, and she would not cry out for help at this point. She didn't need Lee to save her every time again. She was a capable woman, and this man could never dream to defeat her.

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"Where is she, Naruto?" Kakashi asked sternly. He had asked this question several times already, but every time again, Naruto had refused to answer, simply looking away. But this time he looked up to meet Kakashi's gaze. "Someone from Akatsuki…" he muttered. "…took her away. And I could do… nothing." Kakashi frowned. "Just one?" he asked. Naruto nodded. Kakashi smiled as he picked up Naruto, ready to carry the boy off to the hospital. "If it's just one, we need not worry." He assured Naruto.

"But Kakashi-sensei, how can you say that?" Naruto asked, wondering why the jounin would rather carry him to the hospital then go after Sakura. "She is well able to take care of herself." Kakashi replied. "You would be amazed if you really understood her full ability." Naruto didn't know what to say to that. "You'll see." Kakashi said. "She'll come back to us. I for one believe in her." Naruto sighed. "Lee is going to kill you, you know." He said as he felt himself being lifted onto Kakashi's shoulders. "I know."

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"Damn it Lee! You're such a fool!" Sasuke beheld the scene next to him with pity. His wounds had been taken care off and bandaged, and they had put him in a hospital bed, so he could rest up. Simply because Lee and Sasuke had been brought in together, Lee had been put into the same room as him. He too had been treated. The only problem was that it seemed that he had overdone it. To make matters worse, there was a good chance that the boy could never fully recover again.

"Please forgive me Tsunade-sama." Lee replied. His voice was monotone and sad. It was almost as if he didn't care if Tsunade was mad at him or not at this point. Tsunade seemed to have noticed this. "Why did you do this, Lee?" she asked again, this time softer. "You know that the hidden lotus was forbidden to you, and you know why that was the case." Lee sighed. He didn't want to answer. His entire body was beaten and broken. He was in pain and simply wished to be left alone. Sasuke frowned. Where was the normally lively boy?

"It was my fault, Tsunade." Sasuke said instead of Lee, with his normal lack of respect showing in the way he said her name. Tsunade slightly twitched at this but decided not to say something about it. "Your fault?" she asked. "How so?" she crossed her arms angrily, ready to pound Sasuke if he didn't come up with a good enough excuse. "He used that attack to save me." He looked down at his bloodied bandages in sorrow. "That's not true." Lee said. His voice seemed hoarse.

"I was meaning to direct the attack at Ken." Lee explained. "I was being selfish, wanting to defeat him with one attack, keeping him from attacking the people… precious to me." He sighed. "But I could not let Sasuke be killed, so I redirected my attack. I am not a hero, it was all a coincidence." His eyes were filled with tears. "I was selfish and am now paying the price." He closed his eyes, wanting to shut out all the pain and sorrow and hide in his own world where everything was still well.

"Lee…" Tsunade started. "I will see that I can help you." She ran a hand trough her hair, already tired because of what she knew she would have to do. "You did it to help the village so now I will help you." Lee opened his mouth to respond but Tsunade raised her hand to silence him. "You need your rest, Lee." She said. "So get it. I'm sure Sasuke won't talk too much to keep you from getting your sleep." She winked at Sasuke who grumpily turned the other way. She laughed and turned to leave.

"Oh and Lee." She said. "Kakashi has returned with Naruto." She looked at him one last time. "He was hurt, but Sakura is gone. The last time she was seen, she was alright. So please don't worry about it too much." Lee's eyes widened considerably. Was this supposed to help him? What kind of crap was this? "Where is she?" He asked. "She'll come back to us." Tsunade said. "Kakashi believes it, so why don't you?" She didn't wait for an answer though. She didn't wait for an answer and simply left.

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"Tenten, what happened?" Neji asked, stepping out of the cave of earth, the room colliding right after. Neji didn't even twitch. "How is this possible?" Tenten wiped some happy tears away from her cheeks. "I found someone who possessed ancient magic." She explained. "He summoned you back to life." She hugged him, feeling how he didn't hug her back. But right now, she didn't need that. All she needed was to feel him, to feel his warmth. "Ancient magic?" Neji asked, not pushing Tenten away.

"I missed you so much." Tenten sobbed. "I did everything I could to get you back. If that was not possible, I would've…" It was at this point that Neji wrapped his arms tightly around Tenten's shoulders. "Please don't say that." Neji said. "Don't even speak of it." He sighed. "No matter what reason, such actions may never, ever be taken." Tenten said nothing. She simply enjoyed the cosy warmth brought to her. The price she had to pay was well worth it. But she would tell no one about it. Not even Neji.

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And that's that too. End of chapter. I made it on time, so yay me! Please, I'm begging of you people, please review! Alright?


	80. Glass

Ah, now I really don't have any time. What the hell is up with all this homework?! Anyways, I'll do my best to finish this chapter today. Alright, reviewers!

Roslyn: Short? It's no shorter then usual… Er… alright, I'll let you live. "grin" Thank you!

RaeVenn-Chan: Forgive me but is your name Becky by any chance? The price? Well…

KankurosBandGeek2010: You have an idea? Then please tell me? Heheh…

Panther eyes: Well… Neji's back. That's good, right? But you might be right.

The Rogue Stallion: I know! Good job on that.

Honeyflower15: not too good, she still has a price. And the rest… you'll see.

Gothic Saku-chan: No problem. The site is acting up again, trust me. Thanks.

Katarauchiha653719: Hahaha, thank you so much! I'm really glad you liked it

Vesper Chan: Yeah, poor Orochimaru. Now I'm angry at Sasuke again. Thank you!

Magical Kitty: Thank you. Glad you liked it. We'll discover right now!

**And that's all of them. Must hurry up! Thank you all so much for your many reviews. Now to start chapter number 80! **

**On with it**

_**Glass**_

"Let's go." Sakura said, glaring at the man before her who was smiling at her as if simply enjoying her company. "What are you going to do to me, huh?" Deidara asked. "You're nothing but a weak little girl." Sakura smiled as well this time. "Good, why don't you just keep on thinking that?" She drew her fist backwards, drawing chakra into it, without Deidara noticing. Deidara took a step forward, coming very close to Sakura again. "Why don't you give up and just come with me." He proposed.

Sakura shook her head. What was wrong with men these days. Didn't they have any other way of sweeping a girl of her feet, simply doing it literally? Oh well. As soon as Deidara got into her range, holding out his hand, waiting for her to take it, as if really believing that she would. Sadly for him, he realized too late that she had nothing but violent intentions and got punched into the stomach, followed by a blow to the head, both blows delivered with a fair amount of chakra infused with them.

Sakura watched in amusement how Deidara flew quite a distance away. She couldn't believe how easy that went. It was simply his own fault. He had relied too much on his beliefs, telling him that the girl had no strength or power whatsoever, not being able to defend himself. Seeing how that was right, he had no one to blame but himself. Sakura didn't take her time to ponder on this and celebrate her victory though, she ran away. She didn't have much chakra left so she didn't decide to waste it on her minuscule wounds.

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"Lee, calm down." Sasuke said calmly. Lee was doing his best to get up and run away from the hospital, but he really was barely able to move his hands, let alone his legs. "Sakura is in danger." Lee argued. "I must go save her." Sasuke sighed. "Lee, at this rate, it'll take longer for you to crawl there, then to simply wait for your wounds to heal and run after her." Lee didn't listen though and Sasuke was getting quite unnerved by his attitude. Truth be told though, he was worried about Sasuke as well.

He sighed again and swung his legs over the edge of his bed, placing his feet onto the ground, Lee stopping his struggle to watch Sasuke. "What are you doing?" He asked, hoping that Sasuke wasn't going to try and knock him out. Sasuke simply walked to the window though, not granting Lee a second glance. "If it matters that much to you, I'll go and find her." He put his foot on the windowsill, ignoring the pain searing trough his back. "Please, do not do that Sasuke, you are in no state to do anything." Lee argued.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder one last time, sending a glare towards Lee. "You're one to talk." He growled, then once more turned and jumped down, still ignoring the pain. Normally, he wouldn't have done that. He could care less about some girl. But this was Sakura. And even though she would never be his, he still cared for her and wished for nothing but her safety. If Lee wasn't capable, he would be the one to keep her safe, even though some people would believe she could take care of herself.

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Tenten and Neji were walking back towards Konoha. Tenten was fully worrying on how to explain to people that Neji Hyuuga was still alive, finding that she had no answer to her worries. What _could_ she say? Nothing at all. She sighed, Neji looking at her as she did so. "What's wrong?" he asked in that low voice Tenten had missed so much. "People will want to know how you're still alive." Tenten said. "And I don't want to explain." Neji eyed her suspiciously but decided no to ask.

Tenten suddenly stopped walking, Neji turning to stare at her. "What is it?" he asked. Tenten frowned to herself. "Please go on without me Neji." She said. "I will catch up with you in a few minutes." Her eyes pleaded Neji to listen to her, and so he did, turning around and walking on. Tenten waited until he was out of sight, and then turned, staring at her right arm. She had felt a searing pain trough her arm and knew what was to come next. The first very small part of her price was about to be paid.

She watched how very slowly, fine and thin lines were forming on her hand, tiny drops of blood seeping trough. She swallowed a lump in her throat as all of a sudden, the marked part of her skin suddenly falling off. Tenten hissed in pain as suddenly, blood splattered all over the grass in front of her. Then all of a sudden, the part of her skin that had disappeared was replaced by what seemed to be the same part, only, it was made of glass. Equally fragile and hard. Slicing away at Tenten's surrounding skin every time she moved it.

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Finally, the gates of the village. Sakura smiled as she finally saw her hometown. Her skin was sliced by branches, her chakra was depleted to a minimum and she was completely out of breath. She was really glad to be home. She stopped running and went onwards by a walking pace. She ran a hand trough her hair now filled with knots, and wiped away the dirt covering her cheeks. She couldn't believe Deidara hadn't followed her. Not that she was complaining though. She smiled to herself as she remembered the pounding she had given him.

She was so taken away by her own thoughts, that she almost missed the sudden force that brought her crashing down to the ground. Sakura gasped as she hit the soft ground, looking at whatever it was that had tackled her, still holding onto her. She saw raven black hair, clothing that was dirtied, and bandages covering this person's back. "S-Sasuke?" Sakura asked, recognizing the person immediately. A very tired and pained face was lifted to meet with Sakura's gaze. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you here." Sasuke said, breathing heavily. Sakura frowned as she watched the bloodied bandages.

"What happened to you?" Sakura asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "Me and Lee were attacked by Itachi and Ken." Sasuke explained getting off Sakura, pain still clear on his face. Sakura gasped. She clearly wanted more information, but there was one question that was much more urgent then the rest. "Is Lee okay?" she asked, clinging to Sasuke's shirt desperately, all of a sudden forgetting how strong she had been. Sasuke looked away. "He's in the hospital right now." He explained.

"His life is not in danger, but he used a move that he shouldn't have. His body is completely torn up." Sasuke coughed, trying to take attention away from a groan he couldn't hold in anymore. "He's immobilized for a very long time. Do you want to go see him?" Sakura's eyes were teary. Yes, she wanted to go see him, but her entire journey from the rocky area Deidara had taken her to, to the Konoha village, she had been worried about something else, and she really wanted to go check up on it.

"Sasuke, I would really like that but first…" Sakura wasn't sure if Lee would approve of this or not but she would have to risk it now. Her own fears were a bit bigger at the moment. "… Could you come to my house with me? I really need to check up on the children." Sasuke blinked, observing Sakura to see if she was serious. When he saw she was he smiled and nodded. "I would be delighted to." He answered.

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I know, I know. This chapter is shorter then the rest. But there's still an assignment I have to write 5 times over, as a punishment. "grumbles" and I have one hour left. "sigh" so I'm sorry but I'll end it here. Please still review though.


	81. To trust a traitor

I'm sorry for the late update! Everything's been all hectic lately, and I've simply had no time. But here I am again, so three cheers! Alright, now my reviewers. (16 "gasp")

Honeyflower15: Well, the glass you'll understand gradually, the rest, you'll see. "evil grin".

Animelover5.6: Well, he's not really alright. He's alive and that's all. Heheh.

The Rogue Stallion: Thank you very much!

NinjaMuffins: Hey, no problem. I understand. Eating your brains eh? Er… "backs away"

Panther eyes: Yes he will… and Neji, I don't know myself yet.

Magical Kitty: Oh, something that leads to worse matters. Indeed! Go Sakura!

RaeVenn-Chan: Another reviewers thought she knew you. Heheh.

Vesper Chan: Indeed, but they're too young to torture. Wait a few more years. "grin".

Azuka knight: You'll get it quickly. The queen? Really? Er… peace out to you too!

KankurosBandGeek2010: At least _you_ get it. Wonderful! What did you expect though?

Mrs. Rock: No reviewer could ever annoy me to death. "grin" Yay, another supporter gained! That's wonderful! Try writing some too, that's fun for me. Thanks for your review!

Katarauchiha653719: You'll understand soon enough. IIE!

T. Owens: Yay, I'm glad it is! Gai? Er… hm, good point. "sheepish grin."

Bobalu: A member I made up, heheh. Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it!

**And that's that. Thank you all so much for your loving support! Now, to finally carry on.**

**On with it!**

_**To trust a traitor**_

Sakura almost ran home when she noticed how Sasuke was having quite some trouble, keeping up with her, so she slowed down her pace. She kept forgetting that he was hurt, but only because ha always acted so strong. She sighed. Why were boys always so desperate to be strong? Slow or fast, they finally did reach the house. Sakura saw that there was nothing amiss and smiled at this very small relief. At least the house was still standing strongly. That could only prove to be a good sign, right?

She walked up to the door and felt the doorknob. It was locked and the door wouldn't move. Sakura frowned. Lee had probably taken the key with him. But no bother, she always had a spare ready. She ducked and lifted the doormat to reveal the key she wanted to have right now. Sasuke watched all of this patiently. Finally, Sakura – who was glad that she didn't have to break down the door – opened the door very softly, greeted by silence when she entered. She took a few steps, then motioned to Sasuke to step inside as well.

He did, and closed the door behind him. Sakura grabbed hold of Sasuke's lower arm gently and pulled him with her, to the stairs. "Do you really need me, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, feeling as if he was invading her privacy right now. Sakura nodded. "There are two of them, you know." She replied. "I want to take them to the hospital, to Lee. I can't trust them to be home alone for too long. You'll have to carry one, alright?" Sasuke sighed and nodded. He wasn't sure if he could handle children, but he would try.

So Sakura dragged Sasuke up the stairs now, finally entering a room very quietly, casting some light inside the dark room, the two ninja still greeted with silence. Were children really supposed to be this quiet? Sakura held her breath, not realizing that she was, and turned on the light in the room. The breath escaped her violently as she felt her heart fill with the sweet emotion called relief. Both Aidan and Neji were sleeping peacefully in their little beds. Sakura walked up to them and watched them.

They were both breathing calmly, obviously sleeping, Neji drooling a bit. Sakura smiled. At least they were alright. She was sure that Lee would be happy to know this as well. She carefully picked up Aidan, not wanting to wake him and handed him to Sasuke. Sasuke had a little bit of trouble holding him but Sakura guided him trough it. Finally, Sakura bent over Neji, glancing at Sasuke one last time. She grinned when she saw him smiling as he looked at Aidan. He really had grown more happy, huh?

She picked up Neji and held him close to her chest. Neji mumbled some incomprehensible sounds, making Sakura giggle a little. Her children were so cute. "Are you going to be able to handle it?" Sakura asked, as she watched Sasuke cradle Aidan cutely. Honestly, Sakura barely recognized the boy she used to know. He had changed so very much. And perhaps that is why she felt like she could trust him. "I-I think so." Sasuke replied a bit uncertain. Sakura smiled as she walked out of the room followed by Sasuke.

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"This isn't possible!" Someone screeched, running away. Neji simply growled and walked on. Tenten still hadn't gained up on him, and he felt all alone in a world that had already banned him. He felt as if he wasn't supposed to be there, and truly, he was right. Very few people had not ran away at the very sight of him. Though a lot of girls seemed to have fainted. Neji frowned as he suddenly stopped walking. Where was he walking towards to anyways? Would he still have a place in the Hyuuga household?

How could the village of Konoha accept him when they had gotten over him years ago. How could they act like he had never died. Neji absentmindedly brought his fist to his chest. He was fully aware that he had died, yes. And it had hurt. It had hurt so very much. Not being able to draw breath had burned his troth. Not being able to speak had cut his tongue. Not being able to see or hear had driven him insane, if he had still had a mind to break. But worst of all was knowing what he had not done, and really should've done.

When your heart stops, you lose everything. You are sucked into a black void, the only thing able to save you at that point your own hope, drawing you into a light that might very well not even be there. Floating around in darkness is not a nice thing. And to be there, not having a thought of time, not having a thing to do, and just waiting for anything to happen, your senses not in a working state, that must be the true hell. Lucky for him, Neji eventually did reach the light, until he was drawn back. Drawn away.

He was pulled back into the gray zone called earth. Should he see this as a second chance or did he really long for the peace he felt in the light? And what was more important, how did Tenten ever pull him back in the first place? As far as he knew, no technique ever allowed people to do this. None whatsoever, so what had happened? He suddenly felt something hit him dully and turned around to see a small child on the ground. He had probably bumped up to him, not able to take the impact.

The child was looking up at Neji with fear in his eyes. Neji sighed. This was not going very well. Even if he wanted to stay, it would seem as if the people here would find him a hard thing to accept. "Neji!" Neji turned around towards the slightly cheerful voice, happy that at least someone acknowledged his existence with a certain happiness. He watched how Tenten ran towards him, no fear in her eyes, only joy and maybe a hint of concern. Finally, Tenten reached him, completely out of breath. "Let's go to the hokage." Tenten said.

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Sasuke and Sakura were walking down the streets, towards the hospital once more as if it had become routine. Truly, they had a very bad habit of getting hurt. Sakura sighed as this thought crossed her mind. Sakura noticed how several people threw her and Sasuke weird glances as they walked on with the twins in their arms. It would seem they almost thought that they were together, which of course was ridiculous, but oh well…. Sakura glanced at Sasuke who seemed to be hiding that he was in pain. She once more sighed.

Men were plainly stupid. So there! "Sakura, don't you think Lee will get angry at you for allowing me to carry your child?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Sakura blinked and looked Sasuke straight in the eye. She saw how a sudden blush crept up to him and felt her cheeks redden as well, so she looked away. How burdensome. "He won't get angry." Sakura assured the Uchiha. "I'm sure that he'll trust my judgement." Sakura smiled. Although she just said that, she wasn't sure if she really believed it herself. She was glad to see the hospital.

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Tenten knocked very softly, waiting for a reply. Neji was standing right behind her, making her blush severely. "Enter!" Came the loud and stern voice of Tsunade. Tenten gulped, still not sure about what she was going to do and opened the door very slightly, sticking her head inside the room, scanning Tsunade's mood. The blond hogake simply blinked at her, not trusting this sudden care of actions. "What's going on Tenten?" she asked wearily as she shoved a stack of papers to the side.

Tenten swallowed a lump in her throat and entered the office. She glanced over her shoulder towards Neji who was hidden in the dark. "I have someone to introduce to you Tsunade-sama." Tenten said. Tsunade cocked her head slightly. "Alright." She answered. "Bring him in." It was clear that Tenten was extremely pale, and Tsunade was extremely curious. Finally, Tenten gestured to Neji that he should enter, and so he did. Tsunade immediately dropped a hidden bottle of sake. "N-Neji Hyuuga." She stuttered.

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"I know which room he's in." Sasuke said, guiding Sakura trough the hospital. "It's my room too after all." Sakura cocked an eyebrow at him. "You weren't supposed to leave yet, were you?" Sakura said, sighing. Sasuke looked away carefully. "Maybe not." He replied. "Ah here we are." Sasuke opened a door but Sakura already opened her mouth to say something. "You idiot! Why would you leave when you're still wounded." She stepped inside the room. "Ugh, men." She uttered. She stopped abruptly when she saw Lee though.

Lee's eyes shone with a relief Sakura didn't understand. The rest of his body looked horrifying. Sakura didn't understand how anyone could look so broken and still be alive. She felt how tears were running down her cheeks all of a sudden, but she didn't care. The sight of the man she loved, battered and broken in a hospital bed, a certain light having left his eyes, was simply a lot to bare. And Sakura simply couldn't bare it. "Sakura, please do not cry." Lee said softly. There was nothing wrong with his soothing, soft voice.

"Lee, I'm so sorry." Sakura said, wiping away her tears with much difficulty seeing how she was holding Neji. "If I hadn't been fooling around earlier, this wouldn't have happened." Lee tried to move his arm, the limb trembling harshly. Sakura immediately rushed to his side. "Please don't try to move Lee, it hurts you." Sakura said. She got a closer look at his body, tears once more welling up in her eyes. The wounds his body showed, she couldn't heal. They were awful. Was it even possible to heal them?

She heard some shifting behind her and saw that Sasuke set himself down on the empty bed, that had ruffled sheets. He was still holding Aidan carefully, not wanting to disturb the scene between Sakura and Lee, yet at the same time feeling jealous that Sakura showed a lot less concern for him. "I am so happy that you are alright, Sakura." Lee stated, smiling sweetly. "I was so afraid when I heard that you had been kidnapped." Sakura smiled back at him. "Sorry that it took me so long to come here, but I needed to pick up the children."

Lee looked at Neji and then turned his head towards Sasuke. He felt his heart twinge a bit. "Why is he holding Aidan?" Lee asked, frowning. Sakura ran a hand trough Lee's hair, still not able to suppress her sadness. She wouldn't get into a fight with Lee over this. Not now. "I couldn't carry them both, by myself." She replied in what was barely a whisper. "And Sasuke was all the help I had at the time." She sadly looked into his eyes. Lee opened his mouth to say something, right at the minute that the door was knocked open again.

A man stepped inside that could only be identified as Might Gai. "Lee!" The man hollered. His face showed clearly that he was having difficulty deciding on what emotion he should use. "I'm so glad that you're okay!" Gai screamed. His face showed sadness but also a certain excitement. But why? "Lee, listen…" Gai said, his voice trembling with emotion. "It would seem that… Neji… our Neji… has returned."

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Yay, I updated! Look at that! Thank you all for your reviews, and please keep on sending them.


	82. Tears

I'm so sorry for this very late update! Blame too much homework combined with the play that's almost beginning meaning I have a lot of rehearsals. (they are over next week, so hah!) and then there's the fact that the computer crashed! Something to do with too much dust or something. Either way, I'm really sorry, but it's finally here!

Bobalu: Yeah, gosh. I'm sure they're very confused!

Mrs. Rock: Yay! You get the Tenten-thing! Nah, you don't bother me, of course not!

The Rogue Stallion: Er… no. Lee doesn't get better, didn't you read that part?

NinjaMuffins: Nah, the children are alright. Damn, you're right, I'm going to have trouble.

Panther eyes: When don't things go wrong in this story? Honestly! Haha.

Katarauchiha653719: Aw, I'm glad you like it. I hope you still do.

RaeVenn-Chan: Of course you are. Thank you, but I did wait too long this time, didn't I?

Azuka knight: Why? I missed him. I like writing about him, and something else…

Gothic Saku-chan: er… soon huh? Well, there's an update, right?

Amber: Yeah, I do have a life you know? "grins" But I really am sorry. Gomen nasai.

Muzyk-n-art: Hahaha, thank you so much! No, I don't take writing steroids. "grin" thanks!!!

KankurosBandGeek2010: Nah, she didn't have to do that. But ideas are always good!

The ruby wolf: Well, I don't. I never know what happens next. "grin" oh well, enjoy!

Magical Kitty: Good question, I wonder to.

Honeflower15: Well, finally, I update, so enjoy. And sorry for the wait.

ByakuganNeji0908: I'm sorry, I really am! Er… Here's the update. "sheepish grin."

**And that's the reviews. I hope you're all still interested. Here's the next chapter!**

**On with it!**

_**Tears**_

Sakura gasped, not able to tear her eyes away from Gai. What was wrong with the man? Had he been drinking or perhaps he was taking some sort of medicine in a high dosage. Either way, the words the man spoke at the moment were unrealistic and unbelievable. They couldn't be true, and Sakura was sure that they weren't. She turned her head to look at Lee, compassion filling her eyes. She immediately saw that Lee was uncertain. The boy didn't know what to do, and that was very clear to Sakura.

He wanted to believe it, and for some reason, Sakura thought that he actually did. The child in him, the naïve child was still there after all, and the trust he had in his sensei only made his words seem even more believable. But this would result in Lee's heart being broken again when he found out that it wasn't true. Sakura ran another hand trough Lee's hair and turned her head to look at Gai again, her eyes narrowed a bit. The man was still excited. It seemed he believed his own words.

Sakura tried to examine him, to find out what was wrong with him, but even her trained eye found nothing out of the ordinary. "What made you believe this rumour, Gai?" Sakura asked sternly. Gai's smile lessened a bit as his eyes made contact with Sakura's green ones. "The people in town are saying it." Gai said. "I didn't believe it at first either, but a lot of people have seen him!" Sakura abruptly got up. She was angry, very angry. She held onto her child as if its life depended on it.

"How much do you want to believe his, Gai?" Sakura asked. Her voice held the tone of a mother scolding her son. "Have you ever even considered the possibility that someone might be using a henge no jutsu?" She growled softly, her eyes narrowing even further. "Because of your unrealistic dream of Neji coming back to life, you would simply let an enemy ninja infiltrate this village, endangering everyone!" Her voice was raised a lot, and Sasuke got up from his bed shakily, wanting to stop her loud rampage.

"Look at your pupil, Gai!" Sakura yelled, gesturing towards Lee. "Look at the state he's in!" Gai seemed to be completely taken aback by Sakura's words. He was unable to say anything to her while she yelled at him. She scared him even. "He's hurt like this because of the Akatsuki who happen to be after you!" Her free hand tightened in a fist. "What if they have infiltrated because of the henge? Is this the way they have hurt people? By making you all believe that awakening the dead is possible?!"

Sakura opened her mouth to continue yelling but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned slightly to see that it was Sasuke's. She shrugged it off angrily. She didn't want to be comforted, she only wanted to be angry. She looked away when suddenly, she heard a high, bubbly sound. She turned her head to the source of the sound and found Neji chuckling clumsily and cutely. Tears formed in her eyes. "I don't want to lose anyone dear to me again, Gai." Sakura almost begged. "I really don't."

"Sakura." A voice suddenly said. Sakura knew who's voice it was but she suddenly felt too ashamed to even turn to him. "Please do not be mad at him, Sakura." Lee said. He sounded so weary, so tired. "I understand you, but I do not think that he is lying." Sakura saw how Sasuke turned to look at Lee and slightly followed his example. "I still believe that Gai-sensei is right." Lee continued. "Our village is filled with experienced ninja, and they would never fall for a low trick like that." Lee smiled slightly at Sakura.

"I will trust you on your judgement to trust Sasuke, please trust me in believing Gai-sensei." Sakura sighed as she felt more tears well up in her eyes. She was so scared, so afraid. Seeing Lee in the state he was in, knowing that her children had been home alone while the members of the Akatsuki were roaming around the village, made her so scared, her heart couldn't help but hurt. But she had to trust Lee, she just had to! She turned to face Gai again. "I'm sorry." She apologized, bowing slightly.

Gai smiled at her. "It's nothing, Sakura." He said. "I understand. You were simply still in shock." Sakura nodded, not knowing what to say anymore. "C-Can I go looking for Neji with you?" Sakura offered. "Then I can examine him, to find out what happened." Gai nodded. "That's alright with me." He responded. Sakura smiled and turned to Sasuke, her eyes red and puffy. "Could you please take care of little Neji for me too?" she asked. She glanced at Lee who was simply watching her.

"Lee is in no shape to do so." Sakura continued. "And I don't think it's a good idea to take them with me." Sasuke smiled. "Of course, Sakura, no problem." He responded. Sakura placed Neji into Sasuke's free arm as the boy sat down on his bed once more. "If something's wrong, just ask Lee what to do." Sakura said, knowing that Lee was a very good father. She walked over to said boy and bent over slightly, kissing him sweetly. "I love you, Lee." Sakura whispered. She felt herself tense as Lee's hand suddenly grabbed hers.

He shouldn't be able to do that yet. "I love you too, Sakura." Lee assured her. Sakura smiled. Yes, she already knew this. She carefully pulled her hand away again, looked at him one last time before finally turning around and walking out of the room with Gai. She left the boy behind with Sasuke, who was sure to watch over the children that had been entrusted to him. This could be a good chance to gain even Lee's trust again after all. Besides, the two children were kind of cute. Not that he'd ever say it.

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"Explain." Tsunade said, her eyes focused. Neji had stepped inside off her office completely, Tenten closing the door behind him. Neji opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. What could he say? He sighed, his gaze piercing trough everything in the room he was in. Everything but Tsunade's harsh stare. "I don't know what to explain, Tsunade-sama." Neji said respectfully. "I can't help what… happened, and I don't know how this could be either. He crossed his arms, frowning at the ground, as if in deep thought."

"One moment I'm not conscious of even… being, when all of a sudden I draw breath again. He lifted his head to look at Tsunade again. "The first person I saw there was Tenten." Neji turned his head slightly to the woman he loved. Yes, he still seemed to love her, even trough death. He sighed to himself. Did she even still love him, or did she have someone else? Tsunade switched her gaze towards Tenten who was smiling, as if in heaven herself, not able to feel the scolds and preaching surely to be thrown at her.

"Tenten, what have you got to do with this?" Tsunade asked. Tenten saw but one way out though, and that was lying. "I found him there, Tsunade." Tenten said shakily. "At first, I thought that someone had pulled a mean prank, digging up Neji's body and placing it there or something but that's impossible. His body should've perished a long time ago, after all." The rambling fluidly left her mouth, as if she wanted this conversation to be over with quickly. She really didn't want to be found out.

"And the next thing I knew, he opened his eyes. He was breathing." Tenten smiled. "Tsunade-sama, he's alive." But Tsunade didn't seem to be happy at all. Her gaze kept piercing Tenten's soul, but it seemed that she found nothing. Neji on the other hand had sensed her lying. Even without his byakugan, he knew that the vague scene she described wasn't quite what he remembered. Why was she lying? Tsunade sighed. "Fine." She said. She opened her desk and pulled out some papers from a drawer.

"I will reinstall you into the Hyuuga household." Tsunade said, writing some things down. "You will be made into your jounin status once more as well, but you will have no missions for the time being." She glanced at him. "First, you will need to undergo experiments, and research, for your own well being of course. Next, you will undergo a training program for becoming a team leader." She sighed and ran a hand trough her hair. "We're running out of good teachers, and you will make a splendid one."

Neji nodded. He liked the arrangements so far. "I will present you with the documents from the past year. It is important that you learn of what has happened ever since you died." Tenten slightly gasped at Tsunade's bluntness, but Neji didn't move a muscle. "As a jounin, you may see these documents without too much trouble." Neji nodded once more. "You will meet up with your former team as well." Tsunade continued. "Learn from them what has been going on. Some things, even I don't know about." She growled in frustration.

"I think that they would want you to know though." She continued writing stuff down for a while without uttering a word. When she finally finished, she put a stamp on the paper. She got up from the desk – something she rarely did – and walked over to Neji. She put a hand on top of his head and closed her eyes. Neji didn't know what she was doing but didn't feel the urge to back away at all. Tenten on the other hand was panicking in her childish way. Neji smiled slightly at this. She hadn't changed that much, had she.

"Well Neji, it seems that I can trust you fully to… be Neji Hyuuga." She finally smiled and handed him the paper she had been writing. It seemed to be a proof that he existed, so the other people could accept that he was really there, the Hyuuga household in particular. Tsunade put her hands on her hips and examined Neji one last time before finally saying. "Welcome back Neji."

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There, all done. I hope you like it. Man, this story is still far from done. I really should cut it out sometime, shouldn't I? Oh well, we'll get there. Please review if you haven't forgotten about me yet. Heheh. And please don't count on me updating tomorrow again. Again, please do review though.


	83. His return

**Hi everyone! I am so sorry, I suddenly stopped writing. I can't blame it on aything but myself. I just found wyself with a sudden lack of interest in writing. But since my last reviewer threatened to send a white-tailed bunny after me, I decided to continue writing again, simply because of the humour of it and because I am very bored. I reread my story (well, most of it), and I can't help but not know where I'm going with this. So ideas are always welcome, as they always were. Furthermore...**

**Sasuke: "Shut up! Get on with it already!" Throws a bunny at her.**

**Author: Teary eyed "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!!!"**

**On with it**

_**His return**_

Sakura and Gai were walking trough the streets of Konoha. At first, Sakura had remained sceptic of the concept of Neji returning from the dead, but as they furthered down the city, more and more people come up to them, telling them what they had seen. Could it maybe be some sort of Genjutsu? It was very likely that this was all an illusion. On the other hand, not only normal people had seen the proud Hyuuga walk about, but also some very skilled ninja. Yet,... why didn't they seem to be able to find him. Sakura sighed. Really, something always seemed to be going on here. She felt like she was being mocked by the gods. They must be having a big laugh up there, screwing her life up like this. "Could anything be more youthful then coming back from the dead?!" Gai mumbled loudly. Sakura looked at him out of the corners of her eyes. The jounin seemed to be talking to himself. His lower lip was trembling slightly and his eyes seemed to be suspiciously moist. "I can't wait to hear how they boy pulled it off" he kept muttering. "That is so like Neji." Gai smiled widely. Sakura was kind of annoyed by the grown man flittering next to her. He almost seemed like he didn't care about Lee. Lee was hurt badly right now, but Gai hadn't even seemed to mind. "Gai-sensei" Sakura growled. Gai looked at her, smiling broadly. "What is it, Sakura-san?" he asked. Sakura sighed. "Nothing sir, nothing at all."

The big building in which the hokage was residing now towerd before them. That was as far as they could go. The symbol of fire shone in a big circle on the building, representing its country. Sakura sighed. Just like she suspected. No one. She looked at Gai, waiting for his next action. Surely, he should be able to think straight now? But Gai was staring at the building, his smile not once dissapearing. "Look, Sakura-san." he said with a trembling voice. "There he is."

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Sasuke was frowning at the little boy sitting in his lap. "Why would you eat that quarter, kid?" he asked. "Lee is going to be furious with me, if I tell him." he almost cried. Lee had been rolled out into another chamber for his treatment. Sasuke had been left with the children. A nurse had asked if she had to take them from him, but Sasuke had made a promise. Besides, he thought that Lee was happy to have them near. "Why do you pester me so, you insolent child?!" He demanded. Neji just giggled loudly, and then made bubbly noises. Sasuke sighed. "Fine, let's keep it a secret, ok?" he whispered. Neji screeched happily and playfully hit Sasuke on the legs. "AAAH!" Sasuke screamed. "Aidan, put that down!!!" Aidan had grabbed hold of his kunai-knife and was playing with it, putting the sharp end into his tiny mouth. Sasuke carefully took it from him. "No!" Sasuke said sternly. "Bad baby!" Aidan's lip trembled. Oh no, he would start to cry soon. But Sasuke wasn't going to give in on this one. "This is NOT a toy!" he said while waving his indew finger in front of the baby's face. "No playing with this." Sasuke sighed, knowing the child could not possibly understand him. He wished he could reason with the boys. Then suddenly, Aidan started crying, no longer able to play with his precious toy. Sasuke almost started crying too as Neji simply cocked his head to the side a bit. This was gonna be a long day.

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Tenten came running towards them, a sloth-like Neji trudding behind her. "Gai-sensei!" Tenten yelled. "Look! Look!!!" Gai came running towards her now as well. Oh no, it almost looked like one of the sunset scenes between Gai and Lee. Only, it was midday, and the sun showed no sudden abnormalities. Nor was there a sea nearby that could splash them with youthful splashiness. Gai caught Tenten and hugged her tightly after which he let her go and ran towards Neji to give him a hug as well. Neji saw the danger coming, but he was too late, and before he knew it, he too received a bear-hug from the man who never seemed to want to act his age. "Let go, you're... choking... me" he uttered. Gai immediatly dropped him to the ground and started dancing and singing. Tenten was overjoyed too, though one would think that at least she would find it a tad weird. Sakura didn't celebrate with them though. She tried a dispell. But after she formed the hand-signals and uttered the words... nothing had changed. So it was no henge. Sakura came closer to Neji now. "Hello Neji-kun" she said in a calm voice. Neji just hmphed. Sakura stared at him, investigated everything about him that she could, and even poked him. She was seeing it, but she still couldn't believe it.

"Neji, can you explain your... sudden resurrection in a clear way so that I can understand what happened?" Sakura asked. "I don't know." Neji replied. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw that Tenten reacted to what she said. "Not a single clue?" she asked again. "Look." Neji started. "I already got interrogated by Tsunade-sama, kind of, and there are more tests to follow... so ifyou could please lay off now?" Well, his rudeness had not changed a bit. "Neji, you seem older" Sakura said. "So do you" Neji bit back. Sakura glared at him. What in the world had happened now? "Whatever." she said. "So, Tsunade gave you permission to stay?" she asked. Neji nodded. Sakura sighed. "Fine." she shrugged it off. Something still bugged her. This was all just too fishy. But right now, he knew a person that was dying to meet him. Someone that could really use his prescene right now, too.

"Neji, come with me to the hospital, will you?" Sakura asked. "Why?" asked Neji suspiciously. "What are you planning?" Sakura wondered when the boy had grown so suspicious of her. "Lee is in the hospital." she explained. "I'm sure he would appreciate you coming to visit him. You see, he really misses you. It'll cheer him up." Sakura's eyes got some tears in them. "He really needs some cheering up you know." Neji frowned. "What happened?" Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him with her. "Just come on." she said. Tenten followed them suit. He used the lotus again." Neji could only gasp in shock.

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"Neji-pii, I need that" Sasuke cooed. "Come on, give me back my sandwich." Sasuke crawled closer to the child. "I'm really hungry, and, aaaw, don't drool on it. No, eeew." Sasuke sighed. "Fine, it's yours." His stomach growned in protest. "What?" he growled back. "I'm not eating that!" Neji crawled over to Sasuke and put his sandwich in his lap. "Geez, thanks." Sasuke grumbled. "How very kind of you." Sasuke picked Neji up, and put him back into the bed, next to Aidan who had fallen asleep. He couldn't help but find the boys to be cute.

He heard footsteps in the hallway. Sakura must be back. He heard a certain well-known man spout certain nonesense about youthfulness, and waited for them to enter the room. Of course, Lee was gone now, but he'd be back soon. Sasuke snatched another quarter from Neji. "Where do you keep getting those?" he whispered in mock anger before hiding the thing underneath his pillow. The door swung open to reveal none other then the full-grown Hyuuga Neji, whose eyes narrowed as soon as they caught sight of Sasuke. "Oooooh, crap" Sasuke uttered right before Neji threw a kunai at his face.


	84. Explanations

**Hey everyone. _"is teary eyed" _I only got a single review. Now, I understand that because of my long absence I probably lost about everyone. Maybe some people are on a vacation, or others just found it neccesary to reread thte story. Or I got new readers and they just don't want to review every chapter. I understand. So I'm writing a new chapter. However, after this, I will be expecting more reviews. If not, I'm halting the story again, till I know that I've got the interest of at least some people. Alright?**

**Usagi Komadori AKA Kitty**: Thank you for your review. I'm glad you're still with me, and that the white-tailed bunny will now leave me alone. I hope you enjoy this next chapter too.

**On with it.**

_**Explanations**_

Sasuke, afraid that if he avoided the enemy kunai, it would hit the children, simply raised his arms in defense. The kunai got stuck in his lower left arm. "Neji-kun, please stop it!" Sakura yelled a bit panicky. She rushed over to a dumbstruck Sasuke to get the kunai out and heal the nasty wound. "Attacking people in hospitals... children around" she mumbled. Sasuke dared not reason with her. "Sakura, have you forgotten what this boy has done to the city... to you?" Neji asked furiously. Why was she simply healing the Uchiha, instead of knocking his teeth out. "Long story short" Sakura said "He did all that stuff while hypnotized. Tsunade-sensei gave him another chance." Neji's eyes narrowed even further. "What? You are dumb enough to simply let him return? Again?!" he yelled. Sakura glared back at him. "If anyone's return is suspicious, it is _yours_, Neji." she spat. Sasuke put his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It's alright." he said. "This reaction was only to be suspected. Everyone was like that in the beginning, remember?" Sakura simply kept on glaring at Neji. She really did not trust the Hyuuga. There had to be _something_ wrong with this entire situation, and she would find out what it was. "How in the world did you come back to life though?" Sasuke asked curiously. If looks could kill, Sasuke would've perished a thousand times underneath Neji's cold, dark gaze. "Even if I knew, I would never tell a traitor like you." he said calmly.

Sakura suddenly gasped. "Neji! Stop it!" she said before running to the bed. Neji blinked. "I'm not doing anything." he replied a little bit surprised. Sakura ignored him and took the quarter from her baby boy, which he seemed to have dug up from underneath Sasuke's pillow. "Neji, you know you can't eat this kind of stuff." she scowled. Her baby Neji simply made cute, cooing noises and started giggling. Sakura sighed before turning to Sasuke. "Where is Lee, anyways?" she asked him after taking Neji on her arm. She started cradling the child. She didn't dare pick up Aidan too, because he was already asleep in Sasuke's bed, which was way too big for the little guy. Neji came a bit closer. "These are your children?" he asked. Sakura nodded happily. "They were born several months after your...passing away" she said quietly. Neji didn't respond to this statement. He just looked at the children. "And er... what were their names again?" he asked curiously. He just wanted to make sure that what he had heard was not just an acccidental mix-up. "Well" Sakura, stated grinning a bit. "The one currently sleeping is Aidan, and the tough, happy boy in my arms is called Neji." she said. Neji didn't know what to feel right now. They named the child after him. "It just seemed right." Sakura said, almost like she was reading his mind. "You were... well, _are_ Lee's best friend after all. It just seemed a perfect name for this little one."

It was then that the door opened and Lee was being rolled back inside. Sakura noticed his bandages had been refreshed and was happy to see that he was correctly being taken care of. After the nurse had put Lee back into place and left again, only after eyeing the scene in front of her suspiciously, Sakura gently sat on Lee's bed, Neji still in her arms. "Welcome back, sweetie." she said, and kissed him very carefully on his lips. "Look who I brought with me." Lee looked at her lovingly, lifted her hand slightly, and kissed it, before looking at the person she meant for him to see. If Lee hadn't been lying down, he would've fallen onto the ground. "N-Neji-kun?" he asked surprised. Neji seemed to frown when he saw the state Lee was in. Why was he always so very reckless? "Neji, I'm so happy to see you!" Lee exclaimed loudly. "I'm so happy to have my best friend back!" Lee seemed to want to jump at Neji, to hug him, but he only hurt himself trying to do so. Neji sighed, walked over to him, and gave him a modest pat on his shoulder. "Good to be back... friend." he replied, smiling ever so slighly.

Sakura thought that this was the perfect time to dig for a little bit of dirt. Ten-Ten had been standing in a corner this entire time, watching everything that happened around her, trying to merge with the wall so that no one would notice her. But Sakura was very eager to talk to the girl. She walked over to the girl, who immediatly seemed to cower before her. "Ten-Ten, I just want to talk with you somewhere, is that okay?" but before even awaiting Ten-Ten's response, she took her hand, and dragged her with her to the courtyard of the hospital. There was a big garden there, and she knew a secret spot where they could talk in private for sure. Ten-Ten had not even tried to struggle. Se just followed Sakura's lead, like a lamb being brought to the slaughterhouse. Finally, Sakura sat Ten-Ten down on the nearest bench, and decided to stand firmly in front of her. "Alright Ten-Ten" she started. "It is time that you told me what in the world is going on. What have you done?" Ten-Ten looked up ever so slightly. She looked happy. A bit scared, but very happy, probably because her Neji had returned. "I don't know, Sakura, I just found him like that." Sakura glared at her. "You're a very poor liar Ten-Ten." she stated simpy. "And I've known you for quite some time now. I know that you're not at all telling the truth." Ten-Ten turned her gaze towards the ground. "I really don't know" she said in a whisper. "Ten-Ten" Sakura stated firmly. "If you tell me, I will keep your secret, but if you don't, I will go tell the hokage of my suspicions, and you be sure that she listens to me." Sakura threatened. "And if you still do not wish to talk, she might even order Neji, to get out. Do you want that?" Ten-Ten looked up at her, angrily this time.

"That's not fair!" she yelled. "Sasuke has gotten so many chances, yet Neji would have to be banished? How do you figure this is fair?" Sakura was not at all intimidated. "The dangers that could maybe still involve Sasuke are quite clear, but the dangers surrounding Neji are a big mystery." Sakura crossed her arms in a Tsunda-like way, in an attempt to look threatening. "We have no idea what faith you have brought to Konoha, Ten-Ten. So tell me, what have you done?" Ten-Ten lowered her head again. "You promise, you won't tell anyone?" she asked in a very silent voice. Sakura sighed. "You have my word." if needed, she would break this vow in an instant, but if it wasn't neccesary for the safety of Konoha, she would keep it. "Alright" Ten-Ten said. "I will tell you."

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"Lee, just look at yourself." Neji said. "Look what you've done with yourself!" Out of the corner of his eye, Neji saw that Sasuke was playing with younger Neji, and he couldn't help but smile. "yes, I know." Lee said. "But I,... hey, what are you smiling about?" Neji didn't even try to mask his smile this time. "It's just that... I'm glad." Neji said. Lee raised en eyebrow. "Glad?" Neji nodded. "That you named one of your children after me. It really... well... it makes me happy." Lee smiled. "Yes well... think nothing of it." he said. "It just seemed like good name." Neji nodded. "Oh, by the way, Neji." Lee said happily. "Now that you are here, _you_ can take care of my children." he said. "You know, while Sakura is doing whatever, when she snuck of." Sasuke's ear twitched a bit, hearing what Lee said. His smile evaporated into thin air, and the child in front of him waved a rattler in front of his face. Of course. Lee still didn't trust him. It was only natural. Neji was his best friend, after all. He took Neji's little rattler from him, and tucked him into bed, right next to Aidan. "Now, go to sleep." he said sadly. "The child seemed to understand that the mood had suddenly changed and didn't throw a fuss. He yawned a bit and snuggled up to Aidan. "Well, I guess that's settled then." Sasuke said. "They're all yours, Neji." and then Sasuke walked out. "Hey!" Lee yelled. "Sasuke, where are you going? You are not supposed to leave the hospital yet. You are hurt." Sasuke sighed. "Screw that." he mumbled.

Sasuke wasn't feeling bad at all, after all. Sure, he ached a bit, but he had experienced far worse situations, and besides, they didn't want him there. He should just go back to Naruto. The poor boy was probably in shambles. So, Sasuke exited the hospital, ignoring the nurses angry shouts, and went towards to self-proclaimed future hokage's house. He supposed Naruto was somewhat of a... good friend. Maybe that was why the boy was the first to come to mind when he needed someone to talk to. This was all kind of his fault. If he had only not snuck out, not let Sakura stay there to cook dinner, and went to the Hyuuga household with the boy, none of this would've happened... probably. He hoped Naruto wouldn't be too angry at him.

He eventually reached Naruto's house anc couldn't help but smile at what he saw. Naruto's house seemed to be completely torn apart, but lucky for him, a lot of people had come help him rebuild. It was an amazing sight. It was so very amazing of Naruto to have changed from the loner he was, into a boy that was loved by many. He never did seem to quite give up. Naruto came running towards Sasuke the minut he saw him. "Sasuke, you dog!" he yelled. "You escaped me!" Sasuke bowed his head in sad defeat. "I know, I'm sorry" he said. Naruto patted his back a little hard. "It's ok, just help me out, will ya?" he said. "oh... and er... you haven't heard of Sakura by any whance, have you?" Sasuke blinked. "Well, she's at the hospital right now." he said. "but she's not wounded, don't worry." Naruto grinned. "I knew that sleezy blond ponytail couldn't hold her for that long." he laughed loudly. "Never underestimate her! Because that really hurts." Sasuke smiled, and helped someone grab a log. "Okay, let's do this." he said.

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There we go! And remember, please review!


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